Breaking Free
by Elle Wednesday
Summary: He had told her that she could do better. Jinx was starting to believe he might be right. Of all the people he could have put that sort of faith in, he'd picked her. That had to mean something. ::Kid FlashxJinx.::
1. Breathe 2 AM

Note as of 12/12: Hello! Just wanted to leave a little warning for those of you about to read this fic for the first time: I wrote this between the ages of 13 and 16 (the vast majority of it was written when I was about 14/15, in eighth/ninth grade), so it's pretty old now, and I will be the first to admit it's not all that good. XD I'm actually a little embarrased by this story, and my writing has improved a lot since. XD I've thought about taking this down, but it seems to mean a lot to a few other people, so I left it up for them. And this story does mean something to me too, I really poured my heart into it at the time. But it's also something I did when I was very young, and it's no longer an accurate reflection of my writing abilities. So please do keep that in mind if you decide to read this story and before you make any judgements. XD Thanks! Love you guys! :) -Elle

**Breaking Free**

**Breathe (2 AM)**

Why me?

What did I do to deserve this? Why am I, of all the villains in this world, the one he decided to take pity on? The one he decided to be nice to? To flirt with? To try and convince that things could be better?

Why me?

And why is it that of all the heroes in this world he's the one who decided to be nice to me? The one who decided to tell me that I'm better than this? To treat me like a person, not just an enemy? To really care?

Of all the people in this world, why me?

Why _him_?

I'm sitting in an empty ally. I don't what to do. I can't go anywhere. There's no one who can help me. Maybe I should go back to the HIVE Five At least than I'll have friends.

"_Why do you hang out with these losers? They're only holding you back."_

He was right. They were just holding me back. They're not worth fighting for. They may have been my team, but it's not like they listened to anything I ever had to say.

They may have been my team, but they were never my friends.

It's cold out. I should have brought a jacket. I only went back to the base once, and it was to get my things. I didn't bring much, just some clothes and my toothbrush and stuff like that.

"_I never took you for the unicorn type."_

Oh, and my favorite plush unicorn.

I guess I should have thought about the weather before hand. I'm freezing! Oh well, whatever. It couldn't possibly get any worse.

There's a large crack of thunder, and I can feel water dripping down my head. It's starting to rain.

I stand corrected. It always gets worse.

I really am bad luck.

The water quickly seeps though my clothes and onto my skin, causing me to shiver. I reach into the suitcase in search of something warm and dry, but instead I find the rose he gave me. Usually flowers just shrivel up and die if they get to close to me. But for some reason, this one hasn't. It's still very much alive and…

And it's just as pretty as it was the day he gave it to me.

No! I can't think this way! I can't turn back! I can't be good! I'm bad luck! It's too late for me!

"_It's never too late."_

No. No! NO!

I can feel my eyes burning and watering, but I blink back the tears. I feel like I'm choking.

I won't cry. I'm a villain. Bad luck. Evil. Villains don't cry. _"I know you're too smart for all of this."_

He was wrong. I'm not smart at all. I'm just a stupid, good for nothing, bad luck, villain.

There's a sudden beeping sound. My HIVE Five communicator is giving me the single for a message. Slowly, I draw it from my bag and click it on.

Madame Rouge.

"_Jinx, you don't want to get mixed up with them."_

I open my mouth to speak, but no sound comes out. Drawing a deep breath, I manage to whisper, "What?"

Madame Rouge doesn't look happy to be talking to me. "We are beginning our final assault on the Teen Titans. We would like to know if you will be helping us?"

This is it. This is my chance to prove myself to the Brotherhood of Evil. This is my chance to be like Madame Rouge. This is what I've always wanted!

I could go with them and destroy the Teen Titans. It would show that I really am like Madame Rouge. We're both part of teams, but we don't really get along with them. We're both determined. We're both evil.

"_Why do you want to be like her?"_

Do I want to be like her?

Maybe he _is _right. Maybe I am… Different. Maybe it doesn't have to be like this.

"Are you coming?" Madame Rouge asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I bite my lip. "I… I'll tell you when I decide."

Madame Rouge glares at me. "You will come. That is not a request. It is an order." Her face fades away as she ends the transmission.

An order?

Than, I guess I really don't have a choice. I guess I have to go.

This is what I want, isn't it?

"_You're making a big mistake."_

Why do I keep remembering the things he said? Why won't he just leave me alone? Why can't I just forget about him?

Still, is this a mistake? Is this what I want? I could just not go. If I really wanted too, I could even help the Teen Titans. I could stand up to the Brotherhood of Evil. It would be the hardest, stupidest, and bravest thing I would ever do. But I could do it.

No, I have to go. I have to!

Don't I?

If I go, I'm a villain.

If I don't go, I'm a hero.

If I go, I'm evil.

If I don't go, I'm a traitor.

If I go, I have power.

If I don't go, I have courage.

If I go, I can prove myself.

If I don't go, maybe things could be…

"_There's something about you that's different. I think you can do better."_

Better.

If I don't go, things could be better.

Gently, I run my fingers over the rose. Why isn't it wilting? Not even a single petal has fallen off. It's just like him. No matter what I did to him, he wouldn't give up or back down. He just kept trying.

I lift the rose to my face. It smells sweet.

I really shouldn't be here. I really shouldn't be thinking like this. I really shouldn't have any doubt about this. Any minute now, I should just get up and go help the Brotherhood of Evil. Any minute now I should just be a villain again.

But somehow, being here… It's kind of nice.

I shut my eyes for a moment, and realize how tired I am. I'm sick of being lonely and confused. I really just want somewhere to go where I can be safe. I really don't want to have to have to think about any of this. I really just…

Beeping. Snapping my eyes open, I realize my communicator is ringing again. I fell asleep and it's dark out now. I can barely see my hand as it searches for the device.

When I find it, I quickly stand up and hit the receive button.

"What do you want?"

I hear Madame Rouge's voice, irritated and angry. "Jinx, where are you? Why have you not arrived? You are to come now."

I have no choice. I have to listen to Madame Rouge. I have to be evil.

"_You don't have to hurt people to feel good about yourself,"_

I…

I don't want to hurt people.

I can't do this! I'm evil! I am! I'll tell her I'm on my way. I will! I'll…

I open my mouth and speak, but I don't believe what I say.

"No."

Did I just say that? Did I just contradict Madame Rouge? I look down at my communicator, but I don't understand what the look in Madame Rouge's eyes means.

There's a long pause, until Madame Rouge breaks it by saying, "If you will not help us, we will treat you as an enemy." The light from the communicator disappears and leaves me standing in the dark.

I feel my whole body go cold. My hand falls open and I hear my communicator shatter as it drops to the ground.

What have I done?

I just put myself into so much danger. They could come after me now. They'll find me, and I won't stand a chance against them.

And to make it worse, I just put _him_ into danger too. They'll know that he's the reason I disobeyed them. They won't go after me; they'll go after him. He's the hero! He's the threat to them! They'll hurt him!

I'm blinking back tears again. Why? Why? I'm so stupid! I can't believe I did this to him! I can't believe I…

"Jinx?"

I whirl around. "Wh-who's there?"

I can only see a faint shadow of whoever it is. It must be someone from the Brotherhood. Someone is here to attack me. I didn't know they were so fast. What if they already got to him?

"I-I-I… I'm not afraid to fight!"

"Jinx, relax. I'm not going to hurt you." The voice is calm and eerily familiar. It can't be! I step a little closer until I'm able to make out the face.

It is.

Of all the people in this world, the one who showed up now had to be the one who got me into this mess. The one who I just put into serious danger. The one who I've been trying to forget.

And, as much as I don't want to admit it, he's the one I needed to show up.

The one I wanted to show up.

The one I didn't ever want to forget.

Of all the people in this world, it's _him_.

The one I fell in love with.

Kid Flash.

_There's a light at each end of this tunnel_

_You shout 'cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out_

_And these mistakes you've made, you'll just make them again_

_If you only try turning around._

**Chapter 1**

Does this seem a little rushed to anyone else? I can not really decide why, but I feel like the whole thing happened too fast. Anyway, I really like this story. It was quite enjoyable to write, and I have already begun the next chapter! It takes place somewhere shortly after Lightspeed and before Titans Together. Right around Calling All Titans, I suppose. The title comes from the song "Breaking Free" from High School Musical.. The lyrics at the end are from the Anna Nalick song "Breathe (2 AM)".

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, the songs I use, or anything I may make references to. Everything belongs to its respective owner


	2. Breaking Free

Breaking Free

It's _him_.

It's Kid Flash.

I'm almost crying, but I blink back the tears.

"Jinx, is everything okay?" He asks.

I try to speak, but nothing comes out. Why? Why now? Why does he have to see me like this?

I can't even bring myself to look at him. I don't want to see his expression. I don't want to know what he thinks of me. I don't want to know why he's here. I don't…

I feel a hand on my shoulder. "You can cry," he says. "I won't tell anyone. Promise."

I have to know.

Slowly, I lift my head so I can see his face. He's smiling a little bit. He seems so understanding. So kind.

It's too much.

I burst into tears.

"How did you… Why…" I choke.

"You just looked like you needed a good cry."

He's right. I don't remember the last time I cried. It feels nice to finally let everything out.

It feels nice to cry.

"Feel better?" Kid Flash asks, still smiling. It's such a genuine smile. It makes him seem so happy and carefree. I've never seen a smile quite like it.

I'm almost scared of that smile.

"Yeah." I reply. My voice is shaking a little. I sniff and wipe my eyes. "Yeah. I do."

"Good."

There's a silence. What am I supposed to say? What _should_ I say? What _can_ I say?

After what seems like forever, I finally manage to ask, "Why are you here?"

"I need your help." He replies simply, shrugging his shoulders a little like it's no big deal.

But it is a big deal. At least to me.

"H-help?" I ask. I'm shivering from being cold and wet, and my words quakes along with everything else. "W-with what?"

Kid Flash sighs a little, as if he was hoping he wouldn't have to explain. "A couple hours ago, the Brotherhood of Evil started attacking the Teen Titans. Argent sent out a distress call, and it's just been downhill from there. My communicator shut off and I can't reach anyone. I'm going to have to go to their base."

No!

They didn't _need_ my help. They went and attacked anyway. I knew this would happen. I knew it would! So why is this such a shock? They're the Brotherhood of Evil! Of course they didn't need my help!

I shouldn't be so scared. So worried. They're off destroying the Teen Titans. Okay. Fine. Just making my job easier. Without the Teen Titans around being a villain won't be nearly as hard. It's all for the best. This is what I want. It is!

Isn't it?

I can hear this little whisper coming from the back of my mind. _This isn't what you want,_ it says,_ you want to help him. You want to be a hero._

I should listen to it. I know I should. It's probably the only part of my mind that's still thinking straight. I really should listen.

So why can't I?

I open my mouth to answer. To say _something_. _Anything_. Anything at all.

But nothing comes out.

He gives me this look I can't quite place. Confusion? Longing? Disdain? What is he thinking? Why is he asking _me _for help? Why can't this be simple? Why can't things just go back to normal? Why is he trying to change me? Why do I have to be standing right here, right now, with _him_?

Why can't I just be the bad guy again?

Why can't he just settle for being good guy?

Why does he have to think I can do better?

_Because you __can__._

What a stupid little voice.

But the thing is, it's right.

Because I can.

Because it's true.

I don't want to admit it, but I've known it all along. I _can_ do better. I don't have to be a villain.

Bad luck doesn't have to be bad.

I can feel the tears coming back. "I don't get it. Why am I crying?" I say, not even bothering to try and choke down the tears. It's a bit late for that.

This time, I just give in to them.

Kid Flash smiles and pats me on the shoulder sympathetically. "Nothing wrong with crying." He says phrasing a bit like it's a suggestion.

For some reason, this makes me laugh. Really _laugh_. Not an evil one, just a genuine laugh. When was the last time I laughed?

Probably long before the last time I cried.

Kid Flash seems satisfied to a gotten a laugh out of me. He chuckles a bit too, and than asks, "So? Will you come?"

I feel like I've just been struck by lightning.

I can't bring myself to answer. My mouth won't open. I can barely breath, never mind try to say something. A final tear trickles down my cheek.

What is wrong with me? I should just answer him. Even if I say no, he won't be mad. He's not like that. Why can't I just tell him what I think? What I want?

Do I even know myself?

_Yes. You do._

It's true. I know. I know what I need, what I think, what I want. I want to be a hero. I want to go with him.

I want to _be_ with him.

I want open my mouth to speak, to tell him, to say yes. But I can't.

I'm scared.

There have been so many times when I was beaten in battle and I wasn't sure if I was going to live. So many times when one wrong move could have cost me my life. So why is it that none of those things ever really scared me but now, even though I have nothing to lose…

I'm terrified.

Maybe it's because, somehow, I really do have something to lose.

Maybe my life isn't even the most important thing I couldlose.

I could lose him.

I could lose Kid Flash.

No! That's impossible! It couldn't happen! How can you lose something you never had?

_You could lose your chance._

My chance. My chance to be something better. My chance to be a hero.

My chance to be with him.

If I go with him, I'm a traitor. I'd be betraying everything and everyone I've ever known. I'd be shattering my whole entire world in a single motion. But…

I don't care anymore.

I may be destroying what's left of the life I knew, but this is my chance to create a new life. To start over. To be someone else.

To be a hero.

To be with the one I love.

I force my mouth to open and say, my voice cracking and shaking just as much as before, "Okay. I'll go."

Kid Flash smiles at me. "Thanks," he says. I can practically feel all my fear and regret rise up.

_No! Don't do this! What about the HIVE Five? What about the Brotherhood of Evil? What about everything? Your whole life? You're bad luck! Evil! A villain!_

The final resistance sounds from the very back of my thoughts.

But as I look at Kid Flash's smile, all the fear just melts away, and the resistance dies down right along with it.

He holds out a hand to me. It's just like the first the first time we met. But there's one big difference. That time, I attacked him.

This time, I reach out and put my hand into his.

I think my heart may have stopped moving. In fact, I think the whole world may have just frozen in time.

And then, in a swirl of gold and red, time picks up again and I find myself standing at a place I've only before seen in pictures. When I was a student at the Junior HIVE Academy, I would stare at pictures of this place for hours, imagining what it must be like to be there. When I was little I always wished I could live here. At now that I really am here, I realize that it isn't where I want to be.

The base of the Brotherhood of Evil.

My jaw drops, and I turn to stare at Kid Flash. "How did you-"

He laughs. "I'm fast, remember."

"Know where this base was? I don't even know the exact location of this place, and I have their radio frequency." I finish.

Kid Flash grins sheepishly. "I'm a superhero. We know these things." He jerks his head towards the entrance. "Shall we go?"

The blood rushes to my face. This is it. This is the end of the line. Either I leave now, or I go inside and change my life forever.

I breathe deeply and slowly, very slowly, I take a step forward.

I'm going.

I look over my shoulder, but the things behind me don't seem to matter.

There's no turning back anymore.

Kid Flash rushes through the doors of the base. Only seconds later he's back. "Coast is clear." He says. I nod and take his hand in mine.

"Ready?" He asks.

"Ready." I answer. For the first time in what seems like and eternity, my voice is clear, sure, and confidant.

For a moment the whole world is only a blur of color, and then I'm inside the base standing at the top of a staircase.

I can hear shouts. I look down to see almost every Teen Titan and villain I've ever met or heard of. This must be the final assault Madame Rouge was trying to get me to take part in.

Well, I'm taking part all right. Just not the way she expected me to.

I hear a familiar voice. "Cludge it! Let's get outta here!" It's Gizmo. He's trying to escape from the battle by running up the stairs, the rest of the HIVE Five, with the exception of See-More, is trailing closely behind him.

Kid Flash lets go of my hand and runs down the staircase.

"Huh?" I hear Gizmo say. He sounds confused.

"Now's the time when you're probably thinking, 'I shouldn't have hooked up with these Brotherhood guys.'" Kid Flash replies, "Hate to say it, but 'Told you!'"

At that moment, Cyborg passes by, deep in battle with Control Freak. He sends an annoyed glance towards Kid Flash, who take a step to one side and says, "Sorry I'm late. I had to pick up a friend."

He gestures slightly in my direction, and I feel a smile grow on my face as I walk down the stairs and join him. For the first time in my life, I have a real friend.

The HIVE looks shocked. "You're with _him_?" Gizmo shouts. "Traitor!"

Somehow, the thought of being a traitor doesn't seem quite so bad anymore.

Kid Flash turns to me. "You probably have some catching up to do." He leaves the stairs to join the fight.

I face my former team. "Nothing personal," I explain. Then I snap my fingers and watch as my hex blows them away.

So he was right all along. I may be bad luck, but that doesn't mean I have to be bad.

"Now that was unexpected," I hear Cyborg say.

Yeah. I guess it was.

For a while, I just stand on the stairs as the battle rages on. Each time a Teen Titan defeats an enemy, Kid Flash zips by and collects them. In a corner of the large room, his pile of villains slowly grows. He passes me and winks, and I can feel my face heat up.

"Children, when will you learn?" As soon as I hear the voice, my face feels cold again.

It's Madame Rouge.

I can't do this. I knew I couldn't do this! I wish it wasn't true, but I'm afraid of her. Afraid of what she'll do to me.

But just as I begin to back up on the stairs, two heroes I don't recognize come to fight Madame Rouge. She immediately gains the upper hand. I look around the room, and see that almost every hero is preoccupied with another villain.

I take another step back. I can't attack her! I can't! I…

Madame Rouge has knocked the two heroes towards Mother Mae-Eye. I steal a fleeting glance at their faces. They look confident, and it's clear that they won't be giving up. But just beneath that, they seem to be just a little bit scared.

I know what I have to do. Being a coward isn't an option.

I snap my fingers, and Mother Mae-Eye tumbles off just as the two heroes are about to ram into her. Stepping towards Madame Rouge, I snap my fingers again, and the floor tiles beneath her feet disappear. She falls into the hole that's left behind, the floor as high as her knees.

She's not so tough.

And I'm not so scared anymore.

I feel my mouth twist into a smirk. "Oops. Did I do that?"

The two heroes grab hold of her arms and stretch her as far as she'll go. With another snap of my fingers her legs are released. The heroes let go of her arms, and she's sent flying onto a conveyer belt.

The next thing I know, Madame Rouge is frozen solid.

I can't believe I just did that. I'm barely aware of the rest of the battle. I stand almost as still as the icy statue that was once my idol. I realize that she was never who I thought she was. I don't understand why I ever looked up to her. She was never someone worthy of greatness.

She was just another villain.

Just like me.

A red and gold blur flashes in front of my face and lands by my side. I turn to see Kid Flash smiling at me, as the rest of the Teen Titans gather around where we stand.

I look around to discover that while I was lost in my thoughts, the Teen Titans had won. Some villains have been frozen like Madame Rouge, and others are nowhere in sight.

Robin, standing near the front of the group, holds the Brain in his hand. He gives it to Beast Boy, who promptly tosses it into the freezing machine.

"Dudes, check it out!" Beast Boy exclaims, "Brain freeze!"

I take part in the collective groan.

---

Jump City.

It seems a bit different now than it did only a few hours ago. Back than it was dark and confusing, but now, in the bright sunlight, I can see pretty clearly.

I'm standing amongst the ranks of the Teen Titans as they…

No.

As _we_ prepare to battle Dr. Light. I hear Cyborg say, "Maybe we oughta show him who he's up against."

"He's totally gonna freak this time," Raven adds.

I was wrong. Madame Rouge isn't anything like me. Not this me.

Robin shouts, "Titans! Go!" and I leap into action with everyone else. A smile slowly spreads on my face.

I guess this is it.

The brand new me.

_But your faith it gives me strength_

_Strength to believe_

_We're breaking free_

_---_

Sorry for the delay! I got stricken with terrible writer's block about halfway through the chapter. I am so proud of myself for finishing this chapter! It was quite hard to write, especially the part that happened in Titan's Together. I hope it turned out all right in the end. And in case anyone for some reason thought it was, this story is not over yet! I have many things I wish to do before I am ready to finish it! The chapter's title comes from "Breaking Free" by Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron. (same as the title of the story itself! Even after the title change, I felt that was an important connection.). The lyrics at the end are from the song.

Review Responses:

Shadow929: This was a perfect first review! Reading made me so happy! (I think it was the happy dance that did it for me!) I am glad you enjoyed it!

Magicalmelody4: I love Kid FlashxJinx too! (Well, that is quite obvious, is it not?) Thank you so much for the review! I am glad you loved it and here is the update you wished for!

Isnt-it-obvious930: Thank you sooooooooo much!

JesusTitanFreak: Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed it!

TTSpeed Demon111: I am glad you enjoyed it!

Lt. Commander Richie: I thank you! I really hope it goes far! -sweatdrop-

Oenone: Thank you! I believe choppy is a very good word to describe it. -sweatdrop- I hope to improve on that!

A special thanks to my brother for helping edit this.


	3. Everywhere

**Everywhere**

"Ta-Da!" Kid Flash exclaims, holding the door for me to enter…

His home? My home? Our home?

This is going to take some work.

I glance around. It's a nice base, although somewhat small. There's a big room that's split into two sections. One looks like a kitchen, the other a living room. I can see a hallway with doors to other rooms. The whole place seems…

Cozy. Compared to the H.I.V.E. base.

Kid Flash takes my hand and pulls me through the room and into the hallway. "There's the bathroom, a closet, and there's my room." he explains, pointing at each door as we pass it. "And this one," he continues, opening the door at the end of the hallway, "is your room. Well, actually it's the guest room. But now it's yours."

It's a fairly simple room, with a bed, a desk, a dresser, and not much else. I place my bag on the bed. "It's a… Nice house?" I comment, managing to make it sound more like a question. Why can't I think of anything to say?

Kid Flash grins. "Thanks, but it's okay. I know it's not much."

"Really! It's fine!" I reply. I think sound at least a little convincing. "So… What do you do around here?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

"Nothing special. You know, fight villains, play video games, eat. I'm not really here that often anyway, I travel a lot. But you knew that, right?" Kid Flash jokes. He dashes off and is back seconds later. "Sushi?"

I reach out to the plate of sushi he brought back from his five-second trip to Japan and take a piece. He sits down on the bed, and, for a moment, I consider sitting next to him.

I sit on the other side of my bag instead.

It's quiet as we finish off the sushi. Why am I so bad at this? Why can't I talk to him?

My stomach is twisted up into knots, and my heart is beating a bit to fast. It's too hot for a second, then it's too cold, and back to hot again. I must be getting sick.

But, somehow, I'm not sure if that's the only reason I feel this way. There's something else, something I can't quite put my finger on, that's making the twists in my stomach tighten.

Is it love? That seems like the obvious explanation. But I can help thinking it's something else. After all, if there's one thing I'm absolutely sure of, it's that I love Kid Flash. I know by now, what love feels like.

_This_ is definitely not love.

The silence is too much. I have to break it. I open my mouth, waiting for something to need to be said. But nothing comes to me. I sigh. Why do I always have nothing to say?

My stomach is even worse now. I think I might throw up. Maybe if I'm alone for a little, I'll be able to collect my thoughts and whatever it is that's making me feel this way will just go away. I look around the room, searching for some excuse to get him out of here. My eyes stop on the clock. Eleven fifteen.

"I-It's getting late." I stutter. He glances at the clock.

"Yeah, it is. I'll see you in the morning!" He replies cheerfully, standing up to leave. The door swings open as he walks through it, and than closes with a soft bang. I collapse backwards.

I am losing it.

No. I've already lost it. I lost it a long time ago.

I feel dizzy. My head is pounding. This room is much too hot. I'm going to suffocate. Obviously I'm sick. I have to be. There's no other logical explanation.

I almost chuckle. Despite the fact that I am, always have been, and probably always will be, bad luck, I have suddenly gotten very lucky. Why am I talking logic?

I need sleep. Sleep will clear my head. I dump the contents of my bag onto the bed, carefully propping my plush unicorn on the pillow. After grabbing my pajamas and toothbrush, I shove the rest of my clothes into the dresser and place my hairbrush on the desk.

As I open the door to leave, I remember the rose. Looking over my shoulder, I can see it lying on the bed. The water from the vase must have spilled out or evaporated, but the rose seems unaffected. I grab the vase. I might as well refill it.

I walk across the hall to the bathroom. Turning on the sink, I carefully refill the small vase, and than splash some cold water on my face. "That doesn't help at all…" I mumble. Why is it so hot in here? I've been sick before, but I've never been this overheated.

Maybe taking my hair down will help me feel less dizzy. I reach up and remove the black bands holding my hair in place. I shake my head a bit, letting my pink hair fall in front of my face. I don't feel as dizzy now, but my head still hurts. Quickly, I change into my pink pajamas, brush my teeth, and race out of the bathroom.

It's colder in the hallway. Just a little bit, but it's definitely colder. That's a relief. Kid Flash is waiting by the bathroom door, already in a pair of bright yellow pajamas. "Hey, Jinx!" he says, waving. As he opens the bathroom door, he turns his head and adds, "You know, you look nice like that. You should wear your hair down more often."

I nod, but I'm really only half listening. My head hurts so much. I think it might be a migraine. I really wish I could listen to him, but all I can seem to focus on is the throbbing pain in my head.

Kid Flash disappears into the bathroom, and I fling the door to my bedroom open. As it shuts, I place the vase on my desk, and than collapse into a heap on my bed. I pull the covers around myself, only to realize it makes me too warm. I kick them off.

Great, now I'm shivering.

I wrap my body in the blankets. It's too hot with them, too cold without. I throw the blankets off the bed entirely and thrash around. I'm freezing, but it's just going to have to do. There is no way around it.

I shut my eyes. Everything seems to be swirling around me in circles, making me dizzy and nauseates. I try very hard to focus on breathing in a steady rhythm, hoping it will make the spinning stop, but it doesn't help. I guess this isn't new. The world's been spinning uncontrollably since I left the H.I.V.E.

Maybe I shouldn't have left. Maybe, if I'd stayed, I wouldn't feel like I'd lost control of my life. I wouldn't feel like everything around me is changing and dying and I had no way of stopping it. I wouldn't feel so… Scared.

No. If I'd stayed, I would probably be frozen right now. Or, at the very least, I would be confused and hurt and lovesick. No. Leaving was better. Better. Yeah. I made the right choice. I did… I left… I…

---

It's dark.

The wind blows just a little to hard. If it were any colder, I would be coated in a thin layer of ice. There's no snow, no rain, nothing to make the air less dry. Nothing but sharp, bitter cold, and absolute silence.

I can't see anything. I have no idea where I am or how I got here. I'm lost in the darkness, and I don't know how to get out.

It's terrifying.

I hear a voice. I've heard it before, but I can't understand what it's saying. It's too far away. I don't know who it is.

It gets a little louder. Closer. Whoever it is coming near me. I can hear the words now. No. I hear the word.

"Traitor."

It whispers it, over and over, exactly the same each time. Like an echo, but it doesn't fade out and die away.

"Traitor, traitor, traitor, traitor…"

I _know_ that voice.

"Gizmo?" I ask. It comes out in a tiny whisper, nothing more than a shadow of my voice.

His face comes into view. It's filled with rage.

"Traitor," he snaps again, "I can't believe you. Leaving us for a superhero. You'll never make it. You're nothing but bad luck. You're just gonna destroy everything you and your _pathetic_ friends are trying to save. And besides, he doesn't even like you. Sooner or later, he's going to leave you, and than you'll be all alone. _Traitor_."

He disappears.

The silence doesn't last long this time. Just a moments quiet before the voices pick up again. It's different this time. Older. Wiser. I listen, and soon I can hear what it says.

"Failure."

Brother Blood.

His face appears. He looks just as angry as Gizmo. He sounds furious.

"You had so much potential. You could have gone to great lengths. You were my _best _student. You could have become headmistress. With enough practice, if I had taught you enough, you could have single handedly taken anyone down. Even _me_. But what are you now? A hero? You've failed me. You failed the entire H.I.V.E. You'll never be anything. _Failure_."

And than he's gone.

I'm back in the silence. The dark. The cold. I have nothing to do but wallow in my own thoughts. Is it true? Am I a traitor? A failure? Will I really never be anything?

I feel like I'm about to cry. My throat is swelling and my eyes are filling with tears. I blink them back. I won't cry. It's not true. Nothing they said was true. I am something.

I'm a hero.

I can breath easier. Everything will be okay. I'm a hero now.

And than I hear another voice.

"Jinx…" It whispers. I look around. No one is there.

"Jinx…" It whispers again.

It doesn't sound mad this time. It sounds… Sad. Longing. Wanting, but knowing it can never have.

He comes into clear view.

See-More.

"Jinx…"

I can barely speak. "I… I…" The words come out a nervous stutter. "I…" He interrupts me before I can finish.

"I loved you."

He fades away, his words echoing after him. "I loved you… I loved you… I loved…"

This time, the silence and darkness is too much. I burst into a rage of tears I can no longer stop. They fall, hot and sticky, down my ice-cold face.

"Why?" I scream, "Why would you ever love me? Why would _anyone _ever love me? Why? Why? Why…"

"JINX!"

It's a new voice. Warmer, concerned. I know exactly who it is this time. Slowly, the voice drags me away from consciousness.

"Kid… Flash…"

---

"Jinx, wake up! Jinx! JINX!"

I open my eyes. I'm back in my room. Kid Flash is in front of me. His arms are on my shoulders, shaking me back and forth vigorously.

"Jinx, are you okay? You were screaming in your sleep. We're you having a nightmare or something?" He asks.

My breath is short and unsteady. "Y-yeah. A nightmare. Just a… Just a… No, I mean… I'm fine, really… I'm fine…" I'm trying to convince myself just as much as I'm trying to convince him.

"That bad?"

I try to answer, but I can't make enough sense of what's going on. Instead, I just bury my head in his chest and cry.

"Shhh…" He whispers, stroking my hair gently. "It's okay. It's okay."

"I don't understand…" I choke, "I was fine when we were at the Brotherhood Base. Nothing they said to me hurt at all. Why does it hurt so much now?"

"Nothing's wrong with being hurt and scared," he soothes, "You did the right thing. You're going to be a great hero. Shhh…"

I drift off into a dreamless sleep.

---

It's morning. The sun is shining brightly through the window, leaving patterns of light across the floor. I can hear birds outside. It's peaceful.

It's nice.

I feel much better. Still a little dizzy and light-headed, but it's a definite improvement. I guess whatever I had was just a one night thing.

Quietly, I stand up and leave the room, walking to the kitchen. Kid Flash is there, busily cooking something. He waves at me.

"Morning, Jinx! Feeling better?" He calls. I nod. There are some flashes of color, and the next thing I know I'm sitting at the counter with a stack of pancakes in front of me. "Eat up!"

I take a small bite. "Mm! These are delicious!"

Kid Flash chuckles. "Thanks. My nephew, Bart, says they're world famous for being completely inedible, and should be used as paperweights instead of eaten. But he's just jealous because he can't cook. And even if he could, never listen to anything Bart says. Ever."

I laugh. "Paperweights, that's a good one. You have a nephew?"

"Yeah. He's kind of an idiot. Really an idiot, actually. He..."

He trails off. Somehow, just listening to his voice, I can tell that whatever Gizmo or dream-Gizmo, says, Kid Flash will always be here for me.

"I'm going to go get dressed," I say I walk back to my room and examine my dress. It looks terrible, probably because I was sitting out in the rain with it on. I dig through my bag and put on the first clean dress I find, and than walk to the bathroom.

I brush my teeth and hair as quickly as possible, and than reach for my black hair bands. As soon as my hand hits them, I remember something Kid Flash said last night.

"_You know, you look nice like that. You should wear your hair down more often."_

Well, I _am_ starting over, right? Nothing wrong with trying something new to accompany this new beginning.

I glance at my face in the mirror, and than my gaze shifts back to the hair bands.

On second thought, I think I'll leave my hair down.

_'Cause you're everywhere to me_

_And when I close my eyes it's you I see_

_You're everything I know_

_That makes me believe_

_I'm not alone_

_I'm not alone _

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes

I am so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so sorry that I made you wait on this chapter for so long! You all have the right to be mad at me. I was very busy with schoolwork, and since I am writing multiple ongoing stories it is sometimes difficult for me to update them! I promise I will try to be faster!

Anyway, about the chapter. I have plotting this one for a while. I really do not know why I came up with it or decided to use it, but I like it, nonetheless. Jinx is being kinda dependent. I suppose the transition from villain to hero was just hard on her? But that is alright as it will give me a chance to make her mature and become less dependent throughout the story. And I have been planning the downfall of the horn-hair thingies since chapter one. I love Jinx, but I rather dislike her hair. The title of this chapter comes from the song "Everywhere" by Michelle Branch. The lyrics at the end are from that song.

---

Review Responses:

Shadow929: I am glad you liked it! Hooray for the non-existent early holidays!

TTSpeed Demon111: Thank you so much!

KF Fan: Thank you! I agree Jinx may be a bit tougher. I suppose the transition to being a hero was rough on her? I will have to work on that.

Jesus Titan Freak: You shall find out what happens!

WWMTgirl: Thank you so so so much! I am so happy that you think I am good enough to be a novelist! Who knows, maybe someday I will be!

jster1983: I am afraid that is not part of my plan. It is a good suggestion though!

WWMTgirl (again): Yes! I am so sorry for the delay!

A special thanks to my brother for helping edit this.


	4. Broken

**Broken**

It's raining.

I gaze out the window, watching the rain drop to the ground and leave behind puddles.

Kid Flash walks to window. For a moment, we both stare at the rain quietly, until he says, "You know, I got struck by lightning once."

I raise an eyebrow. "You?" I ask, "Why didn't you just outrun it?"

"Well, see, that's the thing," He replies, sitting down next to me. "I _couldn't_. That lightning bolt was what gave me my powers. I've felt weird about the rain ever since. On one hand, getting struck by lightning hurt. On the other hand, if it weren't for that, I wouldn't be Kid Flash."

"Yeah. I feel that way about the rain too," I say. The rain… It reminds me of crying.

And I certainly don't know how I feel about _that_.

I hear a beeping sound. Kid Flash grabs his communicator and pushes a button. "Hey Robin. What's up?" He asks.

"How fast can you two get to Chicago?" Robin responds.

"Fast," I answer. "Why?"

"Crime rates there have skyrocketed," he explains. "I'm trying to get a team together, but there's been a huge robbery and I need someone to go investigate immediately. What do you say?"

"We'll do it." Kid Flash says.

"Great. I'll keep you posted on any updates." Robin finished as the communicator shuts off.

I'm not so sure about this. After all, I haven't been a hero very long. I'm not sure I'm ready to take on a villain. What if they know me?

What if it's the HIVE?

"So, ready to go?" Kid Flash asks. I nod.

"Y-yeah." I stutter. "I'm ready."

Kid Flash smiles and grabs my hand. "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

"I know." I whisper. But I don't. Not really.

There's a blur of colors, and when time slows down again we're standing among a crowed of people, in front of the Chicago bank.

The first thing I notice is that it's raining here too.

"So," I begin, "where do you think we should start looking for this robber?"

"Actually, I don't think we're looking." Kid Flash replies. He points towards the entrance of the bank, where the police have already gathered.

One police officer approaches us. "You two are with the Teen Titans, right?" she asks.

"That's us." Kid Flash answers. The officer looks relieved.

"Oh, good," she sighs. "We're… Having a bit of a problem."

"It looks like everything's under control." I say. I gesture towards a group of officers surrounding someone. I can't quite see the person from where I'm standing, but I assume that it's the criminal. "Isn't that the robber over there?"

"Well, that's the problem." the officer explains. "We've caught someone, but she won't talk. And… Well, we think there might be someone else involved."

Kid Flash pushes his way though the crowed. I follow him, until he suddenly comes to an abrupt stop.

"Whoa…"

My mouth falls open. "She's…" I start to say, but I don't finish. I don't really know what I'm trying to say.

A little girl with white hair, soaking wet from the rain, is sitting on the ground, crying. She glances up at Kid Flash and I.

"I… I plead the fifth! I plead the fifth!" She shouts through her tears.

For some reason it reminds me of a time when I had been walking past a tree, and my powers caused one of the branches to break off. A bird's nest that had been on it tumbled to the ground. The eggs from the nest cracked, leaving just one standing upright, surrounded by the pieces of the others.

That was the day I enrolled in the HIVE Academy.

I glance at Kid Flash. For a long time, we just stand there staring at each other, until I finally say, "We should talk to her."

"Do you want to, or should I?" Kid Flash asks.

I look at the girl again, remembering how scared I felt when I saw those broken eggs. I thought that I didn't have any options left, so I went to the HIVE. I became a villain.

"I'll do it." I decide. Kid Flash smiles and nods.

I kneel down so I'm at eye level with the girl. I notice that she has a white eye patch over her left eye.

Maybe I should ask her about that. Or would that just make things worse? She might not want anyone to know what happened. I know I wouldn't.

But…

What _would _I want someone to know? What would I have wanted someone to say to me the day I decided to become a villain?

I guess I would have just… Just want someone to care. To be _nice_.

Nice. Me. Nice. I'm not sure. I've been a villain for so long, and all that time I've been… Well…

I haven't been a nice person for a long time. But maybe…

Maybe I can be.

I take a deep breath and finally manage the to say first thing that comes to my mind.

"What's your name?"

The girl looks at me, her eye, the one that's not covered, is wide in what seems to be a combination of fear and shock. I'm a little surprised by her eye. Her hair color is so strange that I thought her eye color would be too, but it's not. It's just a simple dark blue, and it's seems like it might be the only normal thing about her.

She stares at me for a moment, blinking back tears. She opens her mouth, but than closes it again and makes a nervous humming sound.

"It's okay," I whisper, "I'm here to help."

I can barely believe what I just heard. Was that… Me? I can't remember the last time I said anything so…

Nice.

The girl gulps before, in a tiny, trembling voice, saying, "Rose. My… My name is Rose."

I smile, thinking of the rose in my room. "That's a pretty name." She nods a bit, but doesn't respond, so I decide to keep going. "How old are you?" I ask.

"Nine." She replies quietly.

_Nine_. She's only nine? What could possibly have happened to her? Why could make someone so young decide to steal?

I guess I shouldn't even be asking that. After all, I've been there. Something must be wrong.

Maybe it's her eye? Maybe her eye has some sort of power that's making her feel like she has to be evil? Or it could be the other way around. Maybe whatever is causing her to be evil did something to her eye? Either way, there has to be some reason it's covered up.

"What happened to your eye?" I ask, pointing at the white eye patch. Rose flinches and covers her eye with her hand.

"Um… Uh…" She stutters, her breaths short and uneven. "I…Um… I…Who are you?"

"My… My name is Jinx," I tell her. She gives me a confused look.

"Aren't you from the HIVE?" Rose asks quietly. I shake my head.

"No. Well… Yes, but… Not anymore. I'm a…" I stop. A what, exactly? I'm not a villain, that's for sure. But a hero?

A Teen Titan?

I'm not sure I'd call myself that.

"I quit."

Rose stares at me for a while before whispering, "Why?"

Why?

I'm not sure what to say, even though I know the answer. It was Kid Flash. He was the first person who ever really made me laugh, and cry, and _smile_. _Really_ smile. The first person that ever really believed in me.

The first person that ever really cared about me.

And the first person I ever really loved.

So maybe that's all anyone needs. Someone who cares about them.

Someone to care about.

"Because… Because someone… Someone I love told me that I could do better. That I could _be _better. And I knew that he was right." I pause, and take a deep breath before adding, "and you know what? I think you can do better too."

Her eyes widen, and she looks like she's going to cry. I probably shouldn't have said that. I don't even know why I did it. I don't know this girl, I don't know what she's like or why she's here or… Anything. I don't know that she can do better. I have no way of knowing that.

I hear a small weep, and notice that Rose has started to cry again. I open my mouth to apologize, to say that she shouldn't listen to me because I'm really nothing but a stupid, ignorant girl who's done a lot of terrible things. But before I do, Rose reaches out and grabs my hand, and the next thing I know she's sobbing into my shoulder.

No. I do know that she can do better. And the reason is simple. The more I look at Rose, the more she reminds me of myself.

I see a colored blur out of the corner of my eye as Kid Flash runs over to where I'm sitting. "Everything okay?" he asks.

I look at him for a moment, and than I glance back at Rose. "I… I think so…"

"Did you find anything out?"

"Well, not much." I answer. "Her name is Rose, she's nine, and something happened to her eye."

"Only nine?" He says, obviously in disbelief, "do you think something's wrong with her?"

"Yeah… I do." I reply quietly.

Kid Flash thinks for a moment before asking, "What if we let her stay with us for a while? That way we have more time to figure out what's wrong, and if she's in a bad situation somewhere it gets her out of it."

"Good idea." I answer. I wonder what would have happened if someone had done that for me when I was little. Would I be… Somewhere else? With someone else? Would _I_ be someone else?

Who am I anyway?

I mean, I've been a villain for so long I can barely remember what my life was like before I joined the HIVE. But now, all of a sudden, it's like none of that ever happened.

"Jinx? We're leaving." Kid Flash says, snapping me out of thoughts. He must have said something to Rose to make her stop crying, but I didn't hear what it was.

"Is Rose coming?" I ask. Rose nods a little, and I realize that she's still clinging to my hand.

Kid Flash runs over and says something to one of the police offices. When he comes back, he grabs my other hand and the world rushes by.

When we come to stop, Kid Flash drops my hand, but Rose is holding on even tighter than before. "W-what was that?" She stutters.

Kid Flash chuckles guiltily. "Super speed. Sorry, should've warned you."

"Uh huh." Rose whispers nervously as we walk inside the house.

"So…" Kid Flash begins, "hungry?" Rose shakes her head.

"I am." I answer. We must have been gone longer than I thought, because it's gotten dark and I feel like I haven't eaten all day.

"Cool! What do you feel like?" Kid Flash asks.

"Ummm… Chinese, I guess?" I reply, managing to making it sound like a question.

"Gotcha!" Kid Flash exclaims. He speeds off, returning with a bag that has something written on it in Chinese.

"It's never just take out with you, is it?" I comment. Kid Flash shakes his head as he zooms around grabbing plates and setting the table.

"Course not!" I hear him say, although it comes out a little blurred. "When you can travel halfway around the world in a matter of seconds, would you just settle for take out?"

"I guess not." I murmur. "Never thought of it like that. Travel seems kinda like a waste of time when you're constantly moving back and forth between jail and hospitals and asylums."

"You've been to jail?" Rose whispers, letting go of my hand

"Only once." I mutter. I sort of wish I hadn't said that. Now she probably thinks I killed someone. And I didn't.

I'm not a _murderer_,I'm just…

I don't know.

I hear Kid Flash snicker. "You've been to an asylum?" He laughs as he rushes by and seats me at the table between himself and Rose.

"I spent about five years in one, actually." I explain, using my chopsticks to move a clump of rice around on my plate. Somehow, I'm not all that hungry anymore.

I sigh. I shouldn't have brought up the fact that I've been to jail. I mean, I was only there for a week. It couldn't have been _that_ serious.

Besides, that's in the past now. That was the evil me. The old me.

Whatever _that _means.

"Sheesh…" Kid Flash says, breaking the silence, "It must stink to have never seen the world. I mean the sights, the people, the food!" He adds, waving a dumpling around in the air, "Tell you what, next time I go on a road trip, I'll take you with me!"

I feel my face heat up. Take me with him? Like… A date? I mean, if it were anyone else there's no way it would be a date, but for _Kid Flash_? Who can go to any country in the world in a matter of minutes?

I think he just asked me out.

All I can manage to say is, "Umm… Thanks?"

"You're welcome!" Kid Flash replies casually. He's talking like its no big deal, just a road trip between friends. But, from the way he's smiling, I'm not so sure. "Trust, me Jinx, you'll love India." He continues, "It's very you."

Very… Me?

I don't respond.

"Oh, and Italy!" He exclaims. "We have to Italy. The gelato there is _amazing_."

"What's gelato?" Rose asks quietly.

"It's like ice cream, but it's made differently. It's really good." Kid Flash explains. I finish eating in silence, half listening as Rose and Kid Flash discuss foreign desserts.

Why do I keep thinking about myself in terms of the "old" me and the "new" me? It's like I'm two separate people. But I'm not. I can't be. I can't erase all the bad things I've done. I can't erase who I am or who I was. I'm… Still the same person, aren't I? I can't actually start over.

No matter how much I want to.

I feel something on my shoulder. When I look, I see that Rose has fallen asleep and is using me as a pillow. "She must be exhausted." I comment. Kid Flash nods in agreement, and in a small flash of red and yellow, Rose is on the couch wrapped up in an enormous yellow blanket.

I stand up and walk over to the couch. For a while I just stand there, watching Rose sleep. Every so often she murmurs something. Usually a name. Mommy, Daddy, Joey, Grant. Whoever those people are. Sometimes she speaks a name I recognize. The name of a hero or a villain.

Or even my name.

Kid Flash wanders over and stands next to me. "Alright, Jailbait. I'm listening."

"Don't call me jailbait. It was just one time." I say flatly, not daring to look at him.

"Still. What happened?"

I sigh. "It… It wasn't… I…" I stutter. "I don't know where to begin."

"The beginning would be nice." Kid Flash jokes, laughing a bit. I don't see how any of this is funny, but I answer him anyway.

"It was last year." I start, "right before that time when Jump City was completely evacuated because it had been taken over or something. I never really heard the full story, but See-More told me that the Titans were a complete mess. I figured it would be the perfect time to try to steal that amulet I wanted from the museum. The lucky one. The one that I… Well, you know."

He nods. "Yeah, I know."

"Anyway… The police caught me and they took me to jail. They must have figured out I was from the HIVE, because about a week later Brother Blood came to bail me out and took me back to school. I don't really know what happened next. I think that was when he brainwashed everyone."

"So the amulet thing wasn't a new development, I take it?" He asks. I shake my head.

"Not even close."

"What about the asylum?" he questions.

"That was before the HIVE." I say, still not looking him in the eye. "When I was really little, my powers started kicking in. My family didn't know what to do, but they put up with it for a while. Then I almost burned down the house, and they got rid of me as soon as they could."

"I'm sorry to hear that." He tells me. I finally manage look at him. He just smiles, and gives me that look he always gives me. That look that I don't understand.

"No…" Rose murmurs… "No, don't do it… No…" She starts thrashing around in her sleep. "Stop her… Joey… Stop her! Joey!"

"I wonder what she's dreaming about." Kid Flash says.

"I'm not sure I want to know." I respond. What if these people she's talking about are her family? What if they abandoned her, they way my family abandoned me?

I don't get it. How can Rose remind me so much of myself if I don't even know who I am?

"Uh… Kid Flash?" I ask.

"Yeah?"

"I… I…I'm scared." I say. There. I admitted it. I'm scared. "I'm scared that… That I'm not… _Me_ anymore. Or that I was never me. I don't know which and… And I don't know which is worse. I mean, I was brainwashed for so long and I don't know how many of those thoughts were really mine and… I don't know."

Kid Flash ponders this for a moment before deciding "So, what your asking is, who are you?"

"I… I guess."

"Easy. You're you. You're right here. You're Jinx. You're a hero. You're…" He pauses, before adding, "You're the unicorn girl."

He laughs.

"Oh, come on, stop that! It's annoying!" I shout.

But I'm laughing too

"See? Told 'ya."

I stare at him, confused. "Told me what?"

"That you're right here." He explains. "I mean, sometimes you know exactly what you're doing, and other times you're an insecure mess. But in the end…"

"In the end," I finish, smiling, "I know how to laugh."

"Exactly." He says, smiling back. Very slowly, I reach out and grab his hand. I half expect him to pull it away.

But he doesn't.

Maybe I should tell him. Tell him that the only reason I _can_ laugh is because of him. That I…

That I love him.

I open my mouth. "Kid Flash, um… I… I mean… I don't… I… Never mind."

That was _pathetic_. Really, truly, completely _pathetic_.

I almost try to say something again, but just as my mind begins to form anything even resembling a complete sentence, Kid Flash's communicator goes off.

He drops my hand to answer it.

"Yeah, Robin?"

"I heard about what happened today." Robin says from the other end. "Great job. Now, about that team, how would you two like to be members?"

Members? Of a team?

Kid Flash looks at me for a moment, thinking about something. "It's fine with me." he concludes. "What do you think, Jinx?"

What do I think?

I think… I think…

I have no idea what I think.

"I, uh… I guess it's… It's okay." I say, though I'm not so sure I mean it.

"Alright than. Cyborg's already in Chicago starting on the new tower, so hopefully you'll see him soon."

The communicator clicks off.

Cyborg.

Cyborg.

_Cyborg_.

Now I'm really not sure.

"What… Just… Happened?" I ask, making it sound almost like three sentences instead of one.

"I think we're moving."

_Little girl don't be so blue, _

_I know what you're goin' through. _

_Don't let it beat you up. _

_Heaven knows that getting scars only makes you who you are…_

_Only makes you who you are._

* * *

Notes:

So… Who wants to tell me why I am such an incredibly slow writer? But, really, I promise you that I am dedicated to this story. I owe it to myself, all you wonderful readers, and, of course, the characters (Yes, Jinx, that mean you!), to continue this story no matter how long it takes! I will do my best!

Anyway, I am kind of torn on this one. There are some parts I really like, and other parts where I think I was just trying to finish as quickly as possible. -sigh- Sorry! Now, about Rose, she is roughly based on Rose Wilson from the comics. As for just how similar she is to her comic counterpart, I honestly am not sure myself. It is entirely possibly that she is Slade's daughter, but it is also entirely possible that she is not, and even if she is, I may or may not really get into it. Not sure. As for this "new team" I have not quite decided whether I prefer the Titans North or Titans South. -shrug- The rooster will probably include Jericho, Argent, Herald, and Wonder Girl (do not ask), although nothing is really finalized, so please offer opinions!

Lastly, about the last chapter, I think Bart Allen/Impulse/Kid Flash II/Flash-something-or-other is actually Wally's cousin, not his nephew. My bad! Oh well, I kind of like think it is funnier if he is his nephew. And yes, I know that Wally was never actually struck by lightning in the comics. He got hit by strange chemical things that were struck by lightning. And as for Jinx's background, completely made up. I can take creative license, right?

Chapter title comes from the song "Broken" by Lindsey Haun. The lyrics at the end are from that song.

Review Responses:

Shadow929: I do not know what I mean. Yes, I feel rather bad for the HIVE FIVE too.

Shay Bo Bay: Thank you very much!

TTSpeed Demon111: Thank you!

KF Fan: I am not going to stop responding to reviews, as I feel it is the best way to let readers know just I much I appreciate that they are taking time out of their day to read my story and tell me what they though. If you would like me to stop responding to your reviews, however, please tell me.

Magicalmelody4: Thank you so much for understanding! I definitely think See-More likes Jinx, but do keep in mind that Jinx was dreaming. So what See-More said in her dream was more what _she_ thought he thinks than what he actually thinks.

C.V. Wilson: Thank you! I will try not to be so slow next time.

Shattered x Mirror: I am absolutely flattered. Thank you soooo much!

Shewhodanceswithdragons and Archerelf: Ta-da!

Special thanks to my brother for helping edit this.


	5. She Will Be Loved

**She Will Be Loved**

The next morning, we arrive in Chicago.

It's still raining here.

A large T-Shaped tower has been built overnight. Part of me wants to know how something gets built that fast. Another part of me is beginning to understand super speed. A third part, well, it just wants me to forget about that and focus on the fact that the tower built by Cyborg. _Cyborg_. Cyborg who went to the Sadie Hawkins dance with me. Cyborg, who is…

Cyborg.

He's Cyborg. Not Stone. _Stone_ is the one who went to the dance with me. _Stone_ is the one I had a crush on. Stone, who was nothing but an… An act. Just a disguise, a way to find out what Brother Blood has been planning. And I respect that. I don't really care. It's just…

It's Cyborg.

_Cyborg_, who is not Stone, and who is definitely not Kid Flash. I don't _love_ Cyborg. I don't even _like_ him. I _love_ Kid Flash. I _liked_ Stone. There's a difference. And even if there weren't, it wouldn't even matter. I don't feel anything for Cyborg.

And that's what scares me.

When he was Stone, he… Liked me. Or pretended to, at least. And what if… What if he still does? Was that just Stone or was it… _Cyborg_? How do I tell them apart?

Kid Flash, who has been running in and out of Chicago transporting countless suitcases, stops abruptly. "Wonder Girl, hey!" He yells, waving. I don't see who he's taking to at first, but a soon see a girl with a black ponytail and a red dress standing on the other side of the tower. She waves back before flying to where we're standing.

"Kid Flash, hi!" she exclaims. "Long time no see, huh?" She turns to me. "And you're…"

"Jinx," I finish. She smiles.

"So _you're_ Jinx," she says. I nod, deciding it's best not to ask her what that means. She holds out a hand. "I'm Wonder Girl. Good to meet you."

I shake her hand and say, "Were you at the…"

"The battle with the Brotherhood?" Wonder Girl suggests. I nod, and she replies, "No, I couldn't make it. It's a _long_ story. The Titans and I go way back, though." She bends down so she's at eye level with Rose. "And who's this? Your sister?"

"No," I answer. "This is Rose. We sort of… Found her, I guess. After the robbery that happened here yesterday."

"Ah, that. Robin told me when he called me about the team." she says, standing up. "So, either of you know who else is on the team?"

"You mean no one else is here yet?" Kid Flash asks, pausing before running off again to bring something else to Chicago.

"No," she answers, even though Kid Flash isn't around to hear it. "Just me. Oh, and Cyborg. He's inside, putting some finishing touches on the tower. He must have been up, like, all night working on that thing!"

"Uh… Yeah, I guess…" I say, not sure how to respond. Just as we were finally having something that even slightly resembled a normal conversation, she had to go and remind me that Cyborg was here.

"Umm, excuse me?" A voice with a British accent interrupts. "This is Chicago, right?" I turn around to see three people, two boys and a girl, who I recognize from the battle with the Brotherhood.

"Yeah, this is Chicago." I answer.

She looks at me for a moment before adding, relieved, "Oh, I know you. You're Jinx. That means were in the right place than, finally. I swear, no one in this country knows how to give directions."

"Well, we wouldn't have gotten lost if you hadn't asked for directions in the first place," adds of the boys. Now that I look at him, I realize that he's one of the two heroes who helped me take down Madame Rouge at the Brotherhood base.

"Well if you hadn't been so dead set on _not_ asking for directions, I wouldn't have asked for directions!" the girl insists. The second boy interrupts the argument by saying something in sign language, which the girl seems to understand.

She sighs. "Yeah, you're right. This is a stupid fight. But I'm not apologizing." She glares at her two companions before turning to Wonder Girl and I and saying, "I'm Argent. Sorry about Hotspot over there. If I had any say in the matter he wouldn't be here. And by here, I mean the world."

"I take it you had to travel with him?" Wonder Girl suggests, giggling. Argent rolls her eyes.

"Unfortunately." she says. "Not exactly the greatest way to spend a day. By the way, do I know you? You don't look familiar."

"Probably not, I couldn't make it to the whole Brotherhood thing. I'm Wonder Girl." Wonder Girl explains. "And this is Rose." She gestures towards Rose, who suddenly grabs my hand so tightly I'm afraid she's going to cut off my circulation.

"Rose, are you okay?" I ask. She doesn't answer, and stands there trembling and staring at the blonde boy.

"Is something wrong with Jericho?" Argent asks. "He's not mean or anything. Unlike Hotspot." Hotspot glares at her, but she acts like she doesn't notice.

"I… I'm… fine…" Rose replies shakily. I don't think she's telling the truth, but I don't say anything. It's Rose, after all. Something's definitely wrong with her, but I don't think anyone's going to find out what is anytime soon.

Kid Flash returns with a few suitcases that seem to be the last of the luggage. He catches his breath for a few seconds before asking, "This everyone?"

"I think so." I say.

"Your guess is as good as ours, really." Argent adds.

"Oh. Well, I guess we should head inside. The tower looks cool!" Kid Flash says, grabbing about seven suitcases and dashing off to the tower in a blur of colors.

By the time the rest of us reach the tower; Kid Flash has carried everyone's luggage inside. I hesitate as I reach the door. Somewhere inside this tower is Cyborg. _Cyborg_. I don't want to open this door. I don't want to face what's on the other side.

But I push the door open anyway, and walk inside. And there he is.

Cyborg.

"Hey, y'all." He greets, not looking up from the blueprints he's looking at. "How do you like the Tower?"

"Very nice." Kid Flash says, nodding and looking around the room. It looks like it's probably the living room, judging from the giant couch and the even bigger sound system. There's a doorway on the other side of the room, which I'm guessing leads to a hallway.

"Just let me finish hooking up the TV and I'll give you guys the grand tour. Been waiting all day to show y'all the best part." Cyborg says, making some sort of adjustment to the enormous flat screen television. Everything here is so… Big. Even bigger than at the HIVE Five's base. How did Cyborg put this together in one night?

There's a crash, as a piece of the TV falls off. "On second, the grand tour will have to wait. This could take a while. Y'all show yourselves around."

"Here, lemme help you with that." Kid Flash says, running over to where Cyborg is standing. "Maybe if you put this…"

As Kid Flash and Cyborg try to figure out what's wrong with the TV, Wonder Girl grabs my hand and pulls me into the hallway, with the rest of the team following her. "Okay," she exclaims, "what do we do first?"

"Find a bed." Argent groans. "I don't know about you, but I just went through a major time change."

"As much as I hate to admit, so did I." Hotspot mumbles. "Any of you care who gets what bedroom?" Wonder Girl, Jericho, Rose and I shake our heads.

"Good." Argent sighs. She and Hotspot wander into the first bedrooms they can find.

"And than there were four." Wonder Girl jokes. "So, seriously, now what?"

Jericho says something in sign language. I glance at Winder Girl. "Any idea what he just said?"

"Nope. My sign language is limited to the letter c." She says, forming a c shape with her hand.

"I know a little sign language. He said that he thinks we should pick bedrooms." Rose says quietly.

"That's a good idea." Wonder Girl decides. "Do you think Kid Flash will mind if we don't wait for him?"

"No, he won't care." I answer, trying to decide which room to look in first. I open the door next to the room Argent picked. It has a sloped ceiling and a small balcony. Wonder Girl peers into the room over my shoulder.

"Oh, that room is gorgeous!" she exclaims. "Mind if I take it?"

"Nope." I tell her. She squeals happily and dashes into the room.

"I'm taking this one." Rose says shyly, gesturing towards another door. "I like the view." She disappears into the room, closing the door behind her. Jericho is no longer in the hallway, so I guess that he must have found a room he liked.

I wander a little further down the hallway and open another door. The room is completely empty, with no windows or lights. It's probably for storage or something, obviously not a bedroom. The next few doors all have labels on the doors. Bathroom, Training Room, Evidence Room, and a few other things. After that are more unlabeled rooms. I sigh. I guess I'm just going to have to pick on. I close my eyes and point at a random door, the very last door in the hallway. I open it and walk inside the room.

The room has a large window on one wall. Outside the window, I can see that it's still raining. I am sick and tired of rain. It's like watching someone have their whole life come crashing down around them. I'm sick of watching lives fall apart like that.

And I'm sick of being the one causing it.

That's why I became a villain, really. Because I'm bad luck. Because my stupid powers cause bad things to happen to other people. Because I am the rain on a sunny day.

I'm a hero now. That's what Kid Flash says, anyway. And I'm sure he's right, even if I don't always believe it. But if he is… Something good has to come out of the rain. Something.

I just don't know what.

The door swings open, and Cyborg walks in the room. "I was wondering where you ran off to." He says.

I'm not sure how to respond. Why does Cyborg even care where I am? Why is he bothering to talk to me? There must be _some_ reason why he came into this room looking for me. But I don't know what it is, and I'm not really sure I want to. Finally, I say, "Picking a room. Jericho's idea."

"You know," he starts, "I sort of thought you might end up in this one. No real reason."

"Oh." I say. That's it. No words. Not even two syllables. Just oh. Nothing but oh.

This is not an oh situation. I have to say… Something. I have to say something. I have to tell him that… That what? That I'm sorry? That I didn't really like him as much as I thought? That I just want to be friends? That… That I hope it's okay?

Yeah, I guess that's it. I guess I just want to make sure everything's… Okay. Make sure I didn't break any hearts. Any more hearts, anyway. I think I already broke See-More's, and it's hard enough just knowing I broke one. I don't think I could handle knowing that I'd broken two.

"Cyborg…" I begin, "about that time at the HIVE… With the dance and everything…"

"Hey," he says, "don't worry about it. We're cool."

Cool? We're cool? I've been so worried about this and we're just… Cool? That's not quite the answer I was expecting.

"So, you not… Upset or anything?" I ask.

Cyborg laughs. "Of course not! Why would I be? Crushes happen, Jinx. Besides, I wasn't exactly who you thought I was."

"No," I say quietly. "You weren't. You definitely weren't."

"But, you know what? You weren't who I thought you were either."

"What?" I ask. I stare at him, confused. I wasn't who he thought I was? I don't understand. It's not like I was hiding anything, was I? I mean, he was actually pretending to be something he wasn't. He created Stone for the purpose of lying. I was just… There. Just… Jinx. Right?

"You weren't," he says again. "I didn't realize the whole evil thing was just an act."

"It wasn't quite an _act_…" I whisper. "But I see your point." And I do. Because I was hiding something. I was hiding the unicorn girl.

I was hiding… Jinx.

"Thanks." I say, smiling. Cyborg smiles back.

"Anytime. But, anyway, I didn't come looking for you to discuss the HIVE."

I blink slowly. "So than, what did you come here for?"

"Robin asked me to give you this. Figured we oughta make it official." He holds out a small yellow communicator with a white "T" in the center.

A Teen Titans communicator.

I'm a…

I'm a Teen Titan.

I stare at the communicator, too shocked to say anything. It's official now. I really am a Teen Titan. I really am…

A hero.

The door opens again. This time it's Wonder Girl. "Jinx, Cyborg, you gotta see this!" She exclaims. She grabs my hand and pulls me through the hall and into Rose's room, a rounded room with a bench attached to the windows. Rose is sitting on the base gazing outside her visible eye wide with awe. Argent and Hotspot, who Wonder Girl probably woke up, are standing by the window, along with Kid Flash and Jericho. I walk over and stand next to Kid Flash.

"What is everyone looking at?"

"That." Kid Flash says simply, pointing. I look in the direction he's pointing, and realize that the rain has finally stopped, and the clouds in the sky have been replaced by a rainbow.

"Wow." I murmur. It's the biggest rainbow I've ever seen, forming a nearly perfect arch over the city. "It's… Wow."

Cyborg chuckles. "Y'all think that's great, wait 'till you see the best part." He exists the room. Wonder Girl shrugs and leaves as well, and the rest of us decide to follow.

Cyborg leads us down the hallway and opens on of the unmarked doors, the one I thought led to a storage room. Argent raises an eyebrow. "This is the best part? An empty room?" She asks. Cyborg just smirks and flips a switch on the wall.

Slowly, the walls and ceiling slide back, revealing that the entire room is made of glass. From the room, you can see almost the entire city, and the rainbow in the sky seems even larger and prettier than it did from Rose's room.

Argent's mouth drops open. "Never mind."

I walk to the very corner of the room, gazing out at the rainbow through the glass. Kid Flash stands next to me. "So," he says quietly, "what do you think of the team?"

I glance down at the communicator in my hand. "I think… I think it's better than the HIVE Five ever was." I respond. He laughs.

"Hey, Kid Flash?" I ask.

"Yeah?"

I pause, before asking, "Do you think there would be rainbows if there wasn't any rain?"

Kid Flash doesn't even think before he replies, "No. That's why they call them rainbows."

I smile. He's right. There wouldn't be rainbows without rain. Because something good has to come out of all that rain, all that sadness. Because, as Kid Flash said, bad luck doesn't have to be bad. And for someone who's life has been nothing but bad luck and rain for a long time, well…

Maybe I'm finally finding some rainbows.

_It's not always rainbows and butterflies_

_It's compromise that moves us along, yeah_

_My heart is full and my door's always open_

_You can come anytime you want_

_I don't mind spending everyday_

_Out on your corner in the pouring rain_

_Look for the girl with the broken smile_

_Ask her if she wants to stay awhile_

_And she will be loved_

* * *

Notes:

Anyway, I am so proud of myself for finishing this chapter in a reasonable time frame. This chapter is a bit sappy, but it's cute so that's okay. I plan on throwing something of a curveball next chapter, so I like to think of this chapter as the calm before the storm. And the calm after the storm, what with the rain theme or whatever. Kid Flash does little in this chapter, which shocks me. But he gets to be all important again next chapter, so that is okay. What do you all think of the team? I made a decision to use Hotspot instead of Herald, which I think was good choice. (Thank you for the suggestion magicalmelody4!) Just so you know, I have not read the most recent issue of _Teen Titans Go!_, so I am kind of winging it on Wonder Girl's personality. I do not really consider _TTG!_ to be canonical, actually. And wow, almost everyone thought there would be a love triangle this chapter.

The chapter title comes from the song "She Will Be Loved" by Maroon 5. The lyrics at the end are from this song.

Review Responses:

Archerelf: You are welcome! Or thank you. Not quite sure how to respond to a bow.

FlinxStalker: Thank you! Yay for being lurked.

lemony anemone: Thank you! That is what my main goal is, so cool, I'm achieving it.

Shay Bo Bay: Thank you!

Corvinna: You are not an idiot! I definitely see your point about repetition. I will try to work on that. As for Jinx admitting to herself she is in love with Kid Flash, I think she probably would. Could be just me.

Coldqueen: Well, you are almost right. There will be a love triangle, just not with Cyborg.

Magicalmelody4: Thank you for the suggestions! As you can see, I decided to use Hotspot.

goldilocks-13fold: Thank you so much! I am flattered!

FinalFantasyFreak1234: Thank you! I updated, yay.


	6. Black Roses Red

**Black Roses Red**

"Well, y'all, I'm heading back to Jump City!" Cyborg says.

"Okay, bye! Tell your team I said hi!" Wonder Girl requests, waving. Rose gives a tiny wave, and Jericho smiles and nods.

"Tell them I said hi too." Kid Flash exclaims. "And while you're at it, tell Beast Boy that he owes me five bucks."

"Why does he owe you five dollars?" Argent asks. She has one eyebrow raised, and looks more disgusted than curious.

Kid Flash chuckles. "Because he bet me that Cyborg couldn't build an entire tower in one day," he explains. Argent rolls her eyes.

"Boys…"

"In that case, Beast Boy owes me ten bucks. He bet me that you would never win a bet against him," Hotspot adds.

Cyborg smiles slyly. "This could be fun."

He opens the door to leave. I feel like I should say something, but nothing quite fits. We've already cleared the whole HIVE Academy thing, so… I don't really have to worry.

"Bye." I say, smiling just a bit.

He looks at me, thinking about something. After a minute, he says, "Jinx?"

"Yeah?"

He pauses, before continuing, "This isn't the first time a Teen Titans switched sides. But it _is_ the first time it's ended happily. So, do me a favor. Don't waste your happy ending." And with that, he walks out the door, letting it slam shut behind him.

There's an awkward pause. What did _that_ mean? So, Teen Titans have switched from evil to good. I get that. I've been through _that_. But… didn't end happily? Like, they didn't stay good? Or more like… Like they died? A definition of "happy ending" would be good.

"Okay. Who understood that?" I ask. Wonder Girl gives me an odd look.

"You… Didn't hear?" she asks.

"Didn't hear what?"

"Seriously? I thought every teenage superhero in the English-speaking world heard about it." Argent comments.

"Keyword: Superhero." I murmur.

"Oh." Argent replies. "Right."

"Argent, it wasn't _that_ many people. Just some of the Teen Titans, I think." Wonder Girl says, wincing.

"So, what happened?" I ask again. At the very least, they could tell me that… That they're not going to tell me, or something. Anything would be better than being left hanging like this.

There's a long silence. Whatever it was it must have been really bad. After all, silences like this usually don't mean that the story has, well… A happy ending. But if the Teen Titans have some big family secret, don't I deserve to know? My hand closes around the communicator in my pocket. "Okay, I get it. It's no fairytale. I can handle it. Would someone _please_ just tell me what's going on?"

Kid Flash exhales heavily and puts a hand on my shoulder. He looks me straight in the eye. That look that no matter how hard I try I just… Don't understand. After a moment, he begins, "There was this girl, Terra. She joined the Teen Titans, but after a while they found she was a spy. In the end, she turned on her boss and… Killed him, more or less. She also saved Jump City. But she…"

"She turned to stone." Wonder Girl interjects. "Don't say she died, 'cause that doesn't qualify as death."

"But she did die!" Argent declares.

"No one _knows_ if she's dead." Hotspot argues.

"She's a rock. That seems pretty dead to me!"

"Well, there could be a cure or something!"

"Why are you two even arguing about this? She's not dead!"

"Yes, she is!"

"No, she's not!"

"She halfway between alive and dead!"

"SHUT UP!"

Rose.

Argent's mouth falls open. Rose just… _Shouted_. I can barely believe it. _Rose_. It seems so… I mean… Rose?

"Rosie?" Wonder Girl whispers, bending down so she's at eye-level with Rose and taking her hand. "Rosie, is everything…" Rose swipes her hand away and runs off to her room. I can hear her start to sob. "Rosie!" Wonder Girl calls. "Should someone…"

Jericho, who looks a bit shaken and upset himself, shakes his head and signs something. "What did he say?" Hotspot asks.

"Let her go." Argent explains.

I don't really understand how anything could make Rose shout like that. Sure, I've only known her for a few days but… She is definitely not the sort of person who does that often. She's barely said a word to anyone since we arrived in Chicago. Maybe she was… Upset when she heard about this… Terra. It is kind of depressing. And… Hard to believe? I guess. But what? Hard to believe that someone could… Could betray a team? No, I've done that. Could… Could do something so… _Big_, just by betraying someone. Could leave such an impression that Cyborg needs to _warn_ me about it, and Rose _shouts_ because of it. That any one person could… Could break apart someone's entire world. Yeah, _that's_ what's so hard to believe.

But was it really her, or was it… Whoever she was working for? Who was really behind it? Whose fault was it?

"Who was she working for?" I ask. "Terra, I mean."

Kid Flash and Wonder Girl exchange nervous glances. "Slade."

Slade.

I worked for him once. It seems like it was so long ago, even though it wasn't, really. Maybe a little over a year ago. I can't say I understood what he wanted. He hired Gizmo, Mammoth and I to destroy the Teen Titans. And yet, when that didn't work… He got a spy? When he hired us, we didn't know them. We didn't have any personal issues or anything. We were just… Villains. By hiring us, he was more or less hired using trained assassins. But a _spy_? That's a whole different thing. It's like he was… Trying to destroy them from the inside out, instead of the outside in.

But in the end, she betrayed him. She _killed_ him. She…

"Wait a second! Slade's _dead_?" I exclaim. "Is that… Possible?"

"He's not dead." Kid Flash states.

"He's not? I though that…" Wonder Girl trails off.

"He's not." Kid Flash says, shrugging. "He _died_, but he's not dead. Robin won't go into further detail. I've tried."

"So ask Starfire." Hotspot suggests. Kid Flash laughs a bit, but it's awkward and out of place. For a minute it's quiet. It seems like everyone's uncomfortable about this.

I wonder if the HIVE gets this way when they talk about me.

"Oh, speaking of Robin!" Wonder Girl says, "We should pick a team leader!"

"I nominate myself." Hotspot says.

"I object." Argent groans.

Wonder Girl rolls her eyes. "Well, I nominate Jinx."

Me? No. No way. "What?" I exclaim. "Look, I'm new at this. I don't think I could…"

"Really? I think you'd be great. I mean, you've got leadership experience." Kid Flash says.

"No, seriously, I can't…"

"I think you should. You'd be better than _him_." Argent says, pointing at Hotspot.

I sigh. I may have leadership experience, but as villain, not a hero. I can _lead_, that's one thing, but I'm not sure I know how to lead superheroes. It can't be _that_ different from leading villains, but…

"I'll do if Kid Flash will co-lead with me." I suggest.

"Sure thing!" Kid Flash says, smiling. "It'll be fun!"

"So it's settled then!" Wonder Girl decides. "Kid Flash, Jinx, you're our leaders!" She pauses, sighing a bit, and adds, "but I _still_ think someone should check on Rose."

Jericho signs something. "He said he'll do it." Argent explains. Wonder Girl nods, and Jericho leaves the room. A moment later, I can hear Rose's door open and then shut.

"Well," Kid Flash begins, "who wants pizza?"

Argent stares at him for a moment, looking a bit… Curious. Or… Mischievous, maybe. "I do." she says. "But I want it from this one place in New Zealand that I used to go to. I can't remember the name, but there was a red sign on the door and it was right in between a bookstore that always had huge window displays and a clothing store that didn't sell jeans. That shouldn't be problem, right?"

"Of course not. It might take a few minutes, but I bet I can find it." Kid Flash tells her.

"Good." Argent says slowly. "And Hotspot, why don't you go with him? Make sure he finds the right one?"

Hotspot looks at her like she's crazy. I'm starting to think he might be right. "I guess." he says.

"Great." Argent says, waving. "We'll see you in a while!" There's a blur of colors, and their gone. I stare at Argent. It seems like she was… Up to something.

"What was _that_ about?" I demand, narrowing my eyes and glaring slightly. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were _trying_ to get rid of them."

Argent laughs. "_Honestly_, Jinx. Who _ever_ said you knew better?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Was that an insult?"

"No."

"Than what…"

I don't get to finish, because Argent asks, "You like him, don't you?"

I blink. "What?" I say quietly. I'm not entirely sure what she means. But… If she means what I _think_ she means, that I like… That I _love_ Kid Flash… Well, I'm not sure whether or not I'm surprised that she figured it out. Probably more surprised that her it took her this long.

"Kid Flash, I mean. Do you like him?" Argent explains. Do I like him? Just… Like? Is that all she means?

Is it actually _not_ obvious?

"Well, yeah. Sure. Of course I like him. He was first real friend I ever had." I say. Is she really this… Dense?

Argent laughs again, and this time so does Wonder Girl. "No, Jinx. Do you _like_ him?" Argent asks again. "_Like_ him like him."

I stand highly, highly corrected. It _is_ that obvious. _I'm_ the dense one. I can feel my face heat up. I don't know what to say. Do I… Tell her? Or do I just keep my mouth shut and let her figure it out? Maybe I should just make something blow up in her face and than make a run for it. But…What's the point in that? She's already figured it out anyway.

Well, minus _one_ little detail.

"I don't… _Like_ him." I finally manage. Argent's mouth falls open, and Wonder Girl widens her eyes.

"You _don't_?" Wonder Girl asks. "I though for sure…"

"I didn't finish." I snap. I'm not really mad at _them_, but I'm a bit mad at the conversation. I was sort of hoping they would just… Never figure it out. At least… Not until I decided what to… To do about it. How to tell him. Or even if I want to tell him.

"I don't _like _him." I continue. This is it. Either I shut up now or I tell the whole world how I feel. Although, judging from the look Argent's giving me, those aren't the options. The options are tell, or have them figure it out anyway. I sigh, and finally add, "Like… isn't a strong enough word."

Argent grins. Or maybe she's smirking. I can't quite tell. "You mean… You _love_ him?"

"Like, seriously in love?" Wonder Girls asks. I want to scream at them, but I'm worried Jericho will hear.

"Yes, okay?" I whisper harshly. "I'm… I love him, okay? Just shut up before someone hears you!"

"Fine, fine." Argent groans. "Wait, are you two together?"

"You mean like…" I begin.

"Dating. Yes." Argent finish. "So, are you?"

Are we?

Do any of the things we've done qualify as dates? He stopped a couple crimes, trashed my old base, left a rose in an alleyway, found me sitting in the rain in said alleyway, fought the Brotherhood of Evil with me, let me cry into his shoulder in the middle of night, found Rose with me, listened to my life story, and came to this team with me. As far as I'm concerned, none of that qualifies as dating. But… What about… What does _he_ think? When he met me, I was just any old villain. And most superheroes don't spend so much time with just any old villain. But what does any of that mean? What does that have to do with the fact that I'm in love with him?

I think of the rose. It's red. I don't really think that's ever struck me before. It's a _red rose_. A freaking _Beauty and the Beast _red rose. You don't _give_ roses like that to just anyone. But… What does that mean? Am I reading too much into this? There's no way that… That he's… That Kid Flash…

Is in love with me.

"No." I say. "We're not… We're not together."

"You should ask him out." Wonder Girl suggests. "That way, he'd at _least_ know how you feel about him." Argent nods.

"Besides," she adds, "I think he likes… No, I think he _loves_ you." I don't respond.

The door swings open and a blur of color rushes inside, followed by the smell of pizza. "I found it, Silver!" Kid Flash says, proudly displaying the box of pizza.

"I made it up!" Argent exclaims.

"You what?" Hotspot shouts.

"I was trying to… I was… Never mind." Argent groans. Kid Flash rolls his eyes.

"Well, hey, no use letting this pizza go to waste." he sets it on the table and opens it. "Hmm, looks pretty good. Silver, I think you may have just found us a new pizza place." He takes a piece and bites into it. "Hey, this is good! Here, Jinx, try some." He holds out a piece. Reluctantly, I take it from him.

"Thanks." I say quietly. I take a bite. He's right. It _is_ good pizza. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Argent gesturing for me to go on, to talk to him, to… To tell him how I feel. Like it's that easy. It's not that easy. I want to shout at her, to tell her to leave me alone. But I don't. I don't talk, I don't scream, I don't do anything. I just stand there, eating a slice of pizza even though I'm not hungry.

"_Well_," Argent says, a little too loudly. "I'll be leaving now. I'm… Tired."

"Me too." Wonder Girl adds quickly. "I'm gonna go to my room."

"You should go to your room too, Hotspot." Argent declares as she and Wonder Girl begin to leave.

"Why should…"

"Just do it!" Argent snaps. Hotspot groans, but he stands to leave anyway.

"Don't you guys want any…" Kid Flash begins, but they're gone so fast it's as if they're the ones with super speed. "Pizza?"

I see what she's trying to do. She thinks that getting me alone with Kid Flash will make me less annoyed, less nervous, less… _Scared_. She thinks it will make me brave enough to tell him how I feel, or at least ask him out. It's a _pathetic_ plan. Doesn't she think that if I were going to say something, I would have already said it?

Well… I guess not. After all, _I_ don't even think that. I had plenty of chances to say something. But I didn't. I _couldn't_. Or maybe I just… Didn't want to.

But… I never really thought of it that way. It never occurred to me that we might be… Together. That he might… Like _me_, or even _love_ me, the way I… The way I love him. I guess I thought it was one-sided. But… what if it's not?

I glance at Kid Flash. He's already eaten about half the box of pizza. I laugh. He could probably beat Mammoth in an eating contest. I don't think anyone's _ever_ done that. I finish my slice of pizza, and he holds out the box.

"Want anymore, or am I gonna have to eat myself?" Kid Flash asks. I shake my head.

"Knock yourself out." I reply, rolling my eyes.

"Okay." He starts on yet another slice. I don't know _how_ he eats that much.

I think I'm staring. Is it rude to stare when the person you're staring at is your friend? What if it's your boyfriend? Well, even if it is rude, Kid Flash doesn't seem to be taking offense. He picks up more pizza. I think I'm going to be sick. How can any one person eat so much in a single sitting? You'd think he was starved!

I can hear Argent talking in my head. _Honestly, Jinx! Just ask him. It's now or never you know. Okay fine, it's not. But if you don't ask him now, at least leave so you don't end up throwing up from watching him eat all that._

Just shut _up_, Argent! Shut up, shut up, shut up!

Wait. I'm not even arguing with Argent. I'm arguing with… _Myself_. How is this possible? Now I _really_ want to scream. Why can't I just… Listen to myself, or at the very least come to an agreement with myself?

"Are you okay?" Kid Flash asks.

Oh. Right. He's _here_.

That _really_ doesn't help.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" I ask, trying to sound even slightly convincing.

"Well, you're sitting there staring at the wall and you seem kind of _angry_. Don't know about you, but Ihaven't heard too many tales of people getting mad at walls." he jokes. Well, so much for convincing. "Something up?"

I am strongly, strongly considering lying. No, nothing's up. Nothing's wrong. I should say that. I really should. If I don't I might… Accidentally tell the truth. That something _is_ wrong. That I'm… How did Wonder Girl put it? Seriously in love with him? No. No. I won't tell him. I _can't_.

He's giving me that look again. I don't get that look. I can't _stand_ that look. I…

I think that look has powers. That look might just have the power to take over the _world_. That look is…

Okay! Fine! I'll give in to the look!

Or… Am I just giving into my heart?

Whatever. It doesn't matter. I take a deep breath and open my mouth. I try to think of something to say something… Good, something that will just… Say everything that I'm thinking or feeling or whatever, but somehow all that comes out is… "Yeah. Yeah, something's up."

"Alright, spill."

Spill. Like it's that _easy_. Spill. He wants me to spill. Well, there's no turning back no, is there? He already knows something's wrong. I guess I could lie, make something up, just say something to get him off my back. But… I think… I _want_ to ask. At least some part of me, some crazy, irrational, and very annoying part of me, wants to know what he'll say.

"Kid Flash…" I begin. _Come on_, I can hear Argent command, _out with it_. Fine, Argent. You win. "Kid Flash, I… Do you… Are we… _Together_?" I feel like the word was an arrow, an arrow that could probably hurt something. Or _destroy_ something. Just by missing it's intended target. I took an archery class once at the HIVE Academy. I have notoriously bad aim.

"Together?" He asks. Oh, _great_. I think I missed. I nod slowly. "Like a couple?" I nod again. He doesn't say anything. He just sits, giving me that _look_. I want to scream. Why does he have to give me that look _now_, of all times?

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." I say quickly. "I'm gonna go." I run out of the room as fast as I can, feeling tears begin to sting at my eyes. I'm so stupid. How could I have possibly thought that was a good idea? Of course we're not together. He's a hero, and I'm just a stupid ex-villain. Of course he doesn't like me. I don't know where anyone would ever get an idea like _that._ I reach for the doorknob of my bedroom with one hand and wipe my eyes with the other. Maybe if I scream into my pillow I can at least stop myself from crying.

I can hear a noise behind me, a sort of rushing sound, and I realize that it's Kid Flash, running to catch up. "Hey, Jinx!"

"What?" I snap. "What do you want now? And for your information, I am _fine_, so _don't_ ask me how I am?"

"Jinx, I wanted to say is, yes." he answers. I raise an eyebrow.

"Huh?"

"Yes. We're together. Or, we _will_ be, anyway. Because I'm about to ask you on a date." Kid Flash replies. I think my brain just stopped working.

"What?"

He laughs, a happy, amused sort of laugh. "How does this sound? You and me, tonight, say, six-thirty, at Le Papillon?"

My jaw might have dropped, but my whole face feels numb, so I wouldn't know. Le Papillon? That's the fanciest restaurant in the city! How can he possibly afford that? Well, then again, he might be rich. He is suggesting it, after all. Okay, but more importantly, why _there_? Why _me_? Unless… He really does… _Like_ me? Well, no, obviously he does. Otherwise he wouldn't be asking my out. But…

Oh.

What if… What if Argent's right? What if he does… _Love_ me?

"O-okay." I manage to stutter. "Sure. Tonight. See you then?"

"Great!" Kid Flash exclaims. He starts off towards his room, but a moment later turns back. "Jinx?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really looking forward to it."

I smile. At least, I think I do. My brain and my body aren't connecting correctly. I could be tap dancing right now and I probably wouldn't realize it. "I… I am too."

I can see a blue of yellow and red out of the corner of my eye, and I realize that he's gone. I stand there for a moment, and it finally starts to sink in. Did he… I mean… No, yes, maybe, I… Oh my God! He just asked me out. Kid Flash. Just asked me out. I let go of the doorknob, and dash to Argent's room.

"Argent?" I say, flinging open the door. Argent, Rose, and Wonder Girl are there, chatting about something. Rose looks much better than she did earlier. _That's_ a relief. "Argent… I… I think… I'm not sure but… Well, actually, yeah I'm sure…"

"What? What happened?" Wonder Girl asks, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Well, come on! Spit it out!" Argent exclaims.

"Kid Flash just asked me out."

Wonder Girl screams. "Quiet!" I shout. "I don't want people to hear!" She winces.

"Sorry, sorry. But it's so… _Exciting_! Where are you going? When?" She asks.

"We're going to Le Papillon, you know, the restaurant. At six-thirty." I explain. Wonder Girl and Argent's mouths fall open, and Rose just sort of cocks her head.

"Le Papillon?" Argent exclaims. "But that's a five-star restaurant! He can afford that?"

I shrug. "Apparently."

"Oh my _God_. Jinx, not just _everyone_ goes there for a date, especially not a _first_ date. He really _does_ love you!" Argent adds, smiling broadly. I wish she would stop saying that. Suddenly, her smile fades. "Wait, six-thirty?"

"Yeah, why… Oh, no." I say, realizing what she means. "What time is it?"

"Six-fifteen." Rose answers, pointing at the clock.

"Oh, we should have known this would happen!" Wonder Girl groans, collapsing backwards onto Argent's bed and lying there on her back. "He has _super speed_. He has no idea how long it takes for people to get ready!"

She's right. I wish I had realized what time it was sooner. I sigh, and notice that Argent is looking at me, grinning mischievously. "What?" I ask.

"Don't worry," she says, still grinning. "I work well on short notice." I stare at her blankly. What is she talking about? "What are you going to wear?"

"I don't know. Just… This, I guess?" I say, gesturing towards the dress I'm wearing. Argent stares at me, examining my dress.

"Jinx…" She says slowly. This is staring to be a little creepy. "I _hate_ your outfit."

I blink. "What?"

"I hate it." Argent repeats. "I'm not letting you wear it to a fancy restaurant, especially not on your first date with Kid Flash. I'm giving you a makeover."

"What?" I exclaim. "No, really, I'm fine."

"No. You're _not_ fine." Argent declares. Before I can protest, she turns to Wonder Girl. "Wonder Girl, the clothes hanging in my closet are organized by hanger color. Bring back everything on a green hanger." Wonder Girl nods, opens Argents closet, and begins to pull off hangers. Argent looks to Rose. "Rose, also in my closet is a black bag full of jewelry. See if you can find it." Rose doesn't say anything, but disappears into the closet behind Wonder Girl.

"Now," Argent continues, "sit down." She points at a chair next to a mirror. "I'm doing your makeup."

"Don't. Seriously, don't. If you do, I'll…" I pause. I'll… I have no _idea_ what I'll do. "I'll…" The mirror! I have found inspiration. I'm not sure whether that's good or it's means I'm going insane. "I'll blow up that mirror in your face. You wouldn't want seven years of bad luck." Actually, this is _Argent_. She might just be willing to risk that. "Would you?"

"Of course not." Argent mutters, rolling her eyes and dragging me into the chair. "It's a _shame_ I'm not superstitious. Besides, if _you_ broke the mirror, you would have bad luck, not me."

Darn it! She's _right_.

Argent absentmindedly begins sorting through her make up bag. "Not to mention, if you did that, you would have to buy me a new mirror, and that would only be the beginning of a terrible seven years. You would probably have lots of bad hair days and you would trip a lot and…" I cut her off by snapping my fingers, and her hairbrush explodes.

"Hmm," she says, shrugging. "Rose? Could you get me another hairbrush? There should be a few near the jewelry." Rose emerges from the closet with a large bag and a hairbrush.

"Here you go." She murmurs, sitting down in a chair next to mine.

"Thanks." Argent says, reaching for some sort of makeup that I've never seen before. She takes a makeup brush and tries to apply something to my face, but I slap her hand away.

"Argent, stop it! I don't want your help! Leave me _alone_!" I exclaim. She rolls her eyes again.

"Jinx, don't you want to like nice for your first date with _Kid Flash_?" she asks. She's trying to trick me. I _know_ she is. Unfortunately, when she puts it _that_ way, it's working.

"Fine." I snap. She smiles and begins applying makeup, as Wonder Girl steps out of the closet with a handful of dresses.

"Here. This is everything I could find." she says, placing them down on the bed.

"Great." Argent says. "Are you any good at makeup?" Wonder Girl nods, and Argent hands her the makeup. "Alright, you take over, Rose and I will sort through the dresses." She paces over to the bed and begins examining the pile. "Hmm… Too heavy, not formal enough, clashes with pink… Okay, this one is just _hideous_. When did I buy this?"

"Sooo…" Wonder Girl says, giggling and comparing two different shades of blush. "Are you excited?"

Excited? _Excited_? I'm no just excited. I'm more than excited. I'm insanely, madly, crazily excited. I'm… "I'm completely terrified." I admit.

"Oh, don't be!" Wonder Girl exclaims, finishing with the blush and moving onto eyeliner. "You'll have a great time, I'm sure of it. I mean, how could you _not_?

"How could I not?" I practically scream. "I could throw up. That would do it. Or it could turn out that… That he _doesn't_ really like me, or whatever. It could be a pity date! Or the restaurant could get…" Attacked, I finish in my head. It could get attacked.

"Could get what?" Wonder Girl asks, pulling out a tube of mascara.

"Never mind…" I say quietly. Wonder Girl shrugs and continues doing my makeup. "Hey, Argent? What color dress are we using? I want to make sure the lipstick goes with it."

"Red." Argent says, holding up a red dress. It's a nice dress, I'll admit that, but it's… Nothing like _anything _I would _ever _wear. Not to mention it's _tiny. _I don't know how it could possibly fit _anyone_. "That'll _never_ fit me, Argent." I groan. Argent laughs. Laughs? "Okay, what's so funny?"

"Jinx," Argent says, still chuckling, "have you ever read _The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants_?"

"Yeah." I reply. "So?"

She's still laughing. "Well, think of this as _The Sisterhood of the Little Red Dress_. Trust me. It fits _everyone_." She pauses before adding, "and by the way, I get to be Tibby."

"Bridget." Rose says quietly.

"Carmen!" Wonder Girl adds.

"Great." I groan. "That leaves Lena." Not that I have anything against Lena but… Lena's the last thing I want to be right now. Even if we're alike. Too much alike. _Scarily_ too much alike. I mean, Lena had a wall built around her. She wouldn't let anything, especially _love_, in or out. But when she fell in love it just came crashing down like… Like whatever I'd had built around me did. It just… _Crashed_. It _broke_. It doesn't seem like it should be bad but… aren't there consequences? This can't be all good. It can't be a… A happy ending. If not for me, than… For _someone_, it has to be bad for someone. Someone always dies in fairytales, and no matter how _evil_ they're written to be, they can't be _all_ bad. I know that better than anyone. Nothing's all bad, and nothing's all good. Not even a happy ending. Happy endings don't exist.

"Come on, Jinx, just try it on." Argent pleads.

"Fine." I sigh, shaking off my thoughts. "It doesn't matter. I'll try it." Reluctantly, I grab the dress and change into it. "Well?" Wonder Girl's jaw drops. Rose's eyes widen. Argent looks shocked. "That bad?" I ask.

"No, not bad." Rose says, shaking her head.

"That dress is…" Wonder Girl starts, but doesn't finish.

"You look really good." Argent decides. She grabs me by the shoulder and turns me so I can see myself in the mirror. It _does_ look good. Really good. I feel… Completely out of my comfort zone, but the dress is… _Wow_.

""Now, we need to do something with your hair." Argent says. "Rose, hairbrush." Rose hand Argent the hairbrush and she begins pulling it through my hair. "I don't know what to do with it really. Usually I would pull it up with this sort of dress but…"

"Leave it down." Wonder Girl suggests. Rose nods in agreement.

"Alright, down it is." Argent replies, finishing brushing my hair. "Hmm… It needs something…"

"I have an idea." Rose whispers. She climbs into a chair so that she's closer to my height and carefully tucks the hair on one side of my face behind my ear. "There."

Argent grins. "Perfect. One last thing." She reaches into the black bag and pulls out a black and red chocker. "This has real rubies. I want it back in one piece," she warns, clasping it around my neck. "Alright. I think your ready. And just in time too."

I stand up and look at myself in the mirror. I almost hate to admit it but… They did a _really_ good job. "You look really pretty." Rose tells me. I smile.

"Thanks."

As Wonder Girl pushes me out the door, I repeat Rose's words over and over in my head. It's all I can do to keep myself from thinking about just how badly this could end.

_Can I ask you a question, please?_

_Promise you won't laugh at me?_

_Honestly I'm standing here, afraid I'll be betrayed_

_As twisted as it seems, I only fear love when it's in my dreams_

_So let in the morning light_

_And let the darkness fade away…_

* * *

Notes:

Remember that twist I mentioned? I lied. I promise the twist will happen, but I need one more chapter. (I really should name my plot twists like the crew of _Lost_ does. Can I call it… The Crème Brulee?)I am sorry for the long wait, as usual! The next chapter will probably be up _really_ soon, as I am really excited to write it. I also apologize for how _long_ this chapter was. Part of the reason the twist was lost was because this chapter and the next chapter are sort of a two parter. I have a very clear step-by-step outline of what needed to happen, but I was not sure how many chapters it would take. I decided to use two, but I probably could have cut this chapter off in a different spot and used the makeover scene in the next chapter.

There are a lot of lines in this chapter that I really liked, including everything Argent says. About the makeover scene, it is sort of a running joke between two of my friends and I. In _Calling All Titans_, Argent has that "Sort of clashes with my outfit" line, so I thought she might be a bit of a fashionista. (Is that even a word?) I came up with that line about the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and it somehow just _worked_. I was explaining this chapter to my friends, and they helped me develop the scene. Credit for the "I hate your outfit" line goes to my friend. We actually liked that line so much that we wrote an alternate, joke version of the scene where Argent started rating what all the Teen Titans outfits.

Anyway, to be honest I am having a hard time writing Jinx. I think it might be because she is a little bit open to interpretation since she was only in a handful of episodes. For the most part, this chapter was a bit of a risk, with the mention of Terra and the date and everything, but I think I pulled it off! I changed the chapter title a lot. The title and lyrics at the end come from the Alana Grace song "Black Roses red"

Review Responses:

Archerelf: That should be my new slogan. Elle Wednesday: More interesting than homework. XD XD XD

Shay Bo Bay: Yes, I suppose they _did_ act maturely. And yes, Jericho will be important to the plot.

CSFlinxStalker: I have lurkers! Lurkers! That is freaking awesome. XD

Titangirl747: Thank you so much! ^-^

Magicalmelody4: I know. XD I am having a lot of fun with those two.

Lemony anemone: Cyborg is not actually on the team, he just came to build the tower. I am glad you liked the chapter!

KF fan: I know. I am trying my best!

Corvinna: Yes, Rose Wilson, Because Rose Wilson is _glorious_. XD I really, really hope Jinx is not out of character, but as I have mentioned, I am having a very difficult time writing her.

Rynx-Too-Genki: I do not speak more than a few phrases of Japanese so I had to look up what most of that meant. XD XD (I knew kawaii though.) Arigatou gozaimasu! ^-^

Chocolatelover1015: Yay! My mudgy friend! I am glad you read my story!


	7. Chasing Cars

**Chasing Cars**

"Hey."

Of all the words I could possibly have said, that's the only one that comes out.

I am never going to make it through tonight.

Kid Flash looks up from the magazine he's reading. Actually, I'm not sure if flipping through pages at light speed counts as reading. He smiles at me and says, "Hey!"

I try to force my mouth into something vaguely resembling a smile, but I have a feeling it's more of a grimace. I probably look like _such_ an idiot right now. And my stomach kind of hurts too.

"You look amazing!" Kid Flash exclaims. "Red's a nice color on you."

"It's Argent's dress." I explain.

"Well, it still looks good." He says matter-of-factly. I see a blur of color, not red and yellow like it usually is, but black, because he's wearing a suit instead of his costume. He runs off the couch and stands next to me, linking his arm around mine. "Ready to go?"

"Uh… Yeah, yeah. Ready." I reply shakily. I probably don't sound very ready. I don't think this is going to go well.

"Cool!" Kid Flash says. He takes off, and the next thing I know we're standing at the front entrance of Le Papillon. It's so… _Fancy_. It's _gorgeous_, really. I've never been anywhere like it before. I broke into this one hotel once, just to see what it looked like, but this is even fancier. I think I might be dreaming. No, I still feel sick to my stomach. If anything, that's a sign I'm still awake.

"Hi," Kid Flash says to the maître d'. "I have a reservation for two. It's under West."

"Would you prefer inside or outside?" the maître d' asks, writing something down.

"Outside." I interject quickly. I do _not_ want to see how fancy this place is on the inside.

"Right this way, Mister West." The maître d' says. In normal circumstances, I would think Kid Flash being called by… Well, I guess it's his real name… Either way, I'd normally find this funny. Tonight it's just… _Creepy_. We're led to a table on the corner of the patio. Kid Flash speeds behind me and pulls out my chair.

I sit down. Once Kid Flash is satisfied that the chair has been pushed in, he sits down. Who knew he was such a… Gentlemen? It's almost disturbing. "Thanks" I say. Thanks? What is it with me and one word sentences tonight?

"You're welcome." Kid Flash replies. "Anyway…" He doesn't finish, because a woman with brown hair who looks about twenty approaches our table.

"Welcome to Le Papillon." she says, handing us menus. "My name is Kayla and I'll be your server. Our specials tonight are…" I tune out and open the menu. Oh my God. Just the _soups_ are twenty dollars! The menu is one of those fancy multiple course meal things… If I ordered the cheapest things for all the courses it would still be at least seventy dollars! Can he _really_ afford this?

"May I start you off with something to drink?" Kayla asks.

"Just… Water." I say.

"Yeah, me too." Kid Flash says. Kayla smiles and nods.

"Alright, I'll be back with them soon."

As soon as she's gone, I turn to Kid Flash and ask, "Can you really afford this?" Asking about prices. Anything vaguely resembling politeness has just flown out the window.

Kid Flash laughs. Laughs? Okay, this is weird. "Why are you laughing? It's not funny!" I snap. If he doesn't stop laughing, I might just go crazy.

He has to cover his mouth to stop the laughter. No, I won't go crazy. I'll go insane. _Insane_. So insane I'll have to live in a little room with white walls. Again.

Once he manages to stop laughing, he says, "Sorry, you're right it's not funny." He chuckles quietly, before adding, "Okay, it's a little funny. It's just… My uncle, Barry, he's the Flash. We saved this place from some guy a couple years ago, and now the owner lets me get free stuff."

I raise an eyebrow. "And how is this funny?"

He pauses, tapping his finger against the table as he thinks. "You know, I guess it really wasn't."

_What_? And yet he was _laughing_? I narrow my eyes.

"I can't decide how offended I am." I groan. He starts to laugh again. I glare at him, which just makes him laugh harder. And somehow, this brings a smile to my face. And I start to laugh. Quietly at first, but then a little louder, and a little louder, until we're both sitting there laughing like we're freaks.

"Okay," I choke through my laughter, "this isn't funny at all."

"That's why it's funny." Kid Flash jokes. And that just makes it _funnier_. I am absolutely positive that we look like _idiots_.

I hear a squeal. I turn around to see two girls who look around twelve, standing by our table whispering to each other. I sigh. "Yes, this _is_ my natural hair color." I say, because I'm _sure_ that's what they want to ask.

"It's not that," says one of the girls slowly, tapping her fingers together almost rhythmically. "It's just… You look familiar. Aren't you Jinx? From the Teen Titans?"

"And Kid Flash!" The other girl squeaks. I raise an eyebrow at her, and she makes a high-pitched noise and hides behind her friend.

Kid Flash starts laughing again. "That's us! Want an autograph?" The shyer girl nods, and the bolder one just smiles broadly and holds out a pen and paper. Kid Flash takes it. "Who should I make this out to?" He asks, smiling.

"I'm Claire, and that's Melissa." She answers. He signs the paper, moving his hand at top speed, and than passes it to me. I stare at it. He wrote "To Claire and Melissa, you're awesome! Keep going fast! Love, Kid Flash."It's like a yearbook signature but more… Kid Flash-y. Do I have to come up with something like that? Can't I just sign my name?

I guess it should have the word "luck" in it. I scribble out the words, "Claire and Melissa, good luck with everything you do. From Jinx_."_ and then hand the paper back to them. Claire squeals again, and Melissa giggles.

"Oh my gosh, thank you guys so much!" Claire exclaims. She turns to Melissa and adds, "Wait 'till we tell everyone!" before the two of them scamper off.

I blink slowly. That was… Hyperactive and obsessive, but… Slightly adorable. Isn't there a word for this? I lean my head into my hands. What do people call that? Something with fan… Fan… Girls! Fangirls! "We have fangirls!" I exclaim. "That's just not normal!"

"Fangirls… Are like that." Kid Flash states. "You get used to it."

"Not that!" I say. "_You_ can have fangirls! You're…" I don't even know what I'm trying to say. He's… He's so much. Just so much. "Never mind, but the fact that _I _have fangirls. _That's_ what's not normal! Villains… Or ex-villains… Well… I'm not supposed to have fangirls!"

"Says the ex-Brotherhood of Evil groupie." He chuckles. I think he was joking, but I glare at him anyway. I start to think of a threatening comeback, but Kayla comes back to the table before I can.

"Are you ready to order?" she asks, smiling politely.

Kid Flash nods. "Yeah. I'll have…" I realize that I've only looked at the prices on the menu, not the actual items. I have no idea what to get. No. Freaking. Idea. As Kid Flash finishes, Kayla turns to me. "And what would you like?"

"Um… I'll have what he's having." I decide quickly. I really hope I didn't just order something disgusting.

"Alright. I'll be back shortly." Kayla says, and then she leaves.

"Well…" I say.

"Well?"

"Well…" I trail off again, not sure what to say. There is one thing. One silly little thing that's been nagging at me all night. Okay. I have to get this out. "Kid Flash… Why did you really ask me here?"

He stares at me blankly. "Huh?"

"Is this… A pity date? Because I made such a fool of myself earlier when I asked if you… If we… Do you really…" _Love me_.

"Do you really like me?" I finish.

The blank stare on his face changes. It's not so blank now. It's… Oh, God. It's that… That _look_! He's giving me that look! That look that just… What does it mean? I'm practically crying. Why that look? Why always that look?

"Jinx…" he says. I can't look. I can't look at him while he says… Whatever he's saying. I can't _watch it _on his face. I just _can't_. I look away, at the floor, the table, anything but him. "Jinx…" he starts again.

I look up.

I look at his eyes.

He's looking back.

"What?" I reply, barely able to do anything but whisper.

"It's not a pity date. Of course I like you. To be honest…"

I think the look is magnetic. It's pulling me in, I can't stop it. I feel like I'm slowly being thrust forward by some force completely beyond my control. But I'm not trying to control it, not trying to resist. I'm just moving, watching his eyes come closer and closer and closer, until they're so close I can feel them looking at me. Feel his breath on my face. Feel that _look_. But… It's not so confusing or intimidating anymore,. It's kind of… Nice. It's… It's so much. Just so much. So… Warm, and inviting, and… Beautiful… And so close… Just so close… So close that we're almost touching. Almost…

"Well, look who it is."

I know that voice.

"The little _traitor_ herself."

I _know_ that voice.

"Right where we thought she'd be."

I whirl around, to face whoever's speaking.

Gizmo.

"What are you doing here?" I say. I try to snap at him, to sound angry or frightening, but I think I sound more… I don't even know. Just not how I'm trying to sound.

"What do you think we're doing here?" He sneers. We? What does that mean? He couldn't have… And then I see them.

Mammoth. Kid Wykkyd. Billy.

Someone's missing. I can't wrap my head around who it is but I know something's not right. There should be five. They're the HIVE _FIVE_. Even though there used to be six, but now I'm not… There should be five. Why aren't there five?

Kid Flash says something. I can barely understand the words, but I know it's him. I know just from the sound of his voice. His voice might be all that's keeping my thoughts from going all over the place. There should be five, five. Something's wrong, and it makes me want to scream. If Kid Flash wasn't talking right now I'm sure I would scream and just… Lose it.

There should be five.

Someone says something back. I don't even know who. It's someone… It's someone, it could be anyone. It could be anyone except….

Except…

That dream.

Forget it. The dream's not important. Dreams are… Subconscious! It's not like it was true just because I dreamt it. It's not…

"_I loved you."_

It was a dream! A dream! A…

"_I loved you."_

No, it can't be! He's here! He's here, I just can't see him! I just… I'm not looking hard enough! He's here! Nothing's wrong, nothing's…

"_I loved you."_

See-More.

"Where's See-More?" I ask.

Gizmo laughs.

I snap my fingers, sending him tumbling backwards and onto the ground. "Tell me!" I yell. I actually sound mad now. I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

He's still laughing. I glare at him, my eyes glowing pink. "Well?"

"Where do you think he is?" Gizmo retorts, glaring right back at me. He's never been afraid of me, I should know that.

"If I knew, would I be asking you?" I growl.

He laughs again. "Do you really want to know where he is?"

"What do you think?"

He rises from the ground.

"When did you last see him?" he sneers, like that answers my question.

I open my mouth to argue, but before I can, he says, "Think about it."

"I'm thinking." I spit. The last time I saw See-More was… "At the Brotherhood's base. I don't understand why that's important." I tell him.

"You don't? You mean you don't think there's a _reason_ you haven't seen him since?" He asks. I glare again.

"Of course not!" I practically shout.

He smirks at me. "You know, it wasn't that hard to get away… You just had to want it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I whisper sharply.

"Think about it." he repeats.

I think. I don't get what he means. Hard to get away? From what? The base? The Brotherhood? The Titans? The… The HIVE? Did he quit the HIVE, like I did? Hard to get away from the… The…

No. No. It can't be. No.

Hard to get away from… No, no… It's not… He's not…

He is.

Gizmo's sentence finishes itself in my head. "It wasn't that hard to get away from being frozen." Which means that… My mind flashes to an image of the Brotherhood of Evil. He's… They were all lined up on a shelf, like a collection of glass animals. That he's… Why didn't I pay attention to who was up there? Why didn't I look? That See-More is…

No. It can't be! He's not… he's not… NO!

"You're lying!" I scream, snapping my fingers and sending Gizmo flying even farther across the ground. Despite the distance, his laughter is just as loud. "You know what he said?" Gizmo snarls, "He said, "It's better this way. "

"NO!"

"Face it, Jinx. See-More's frozen."

"No!"

"He's as good as dead."

"No."

"And you killed him."

"No…" I think I'm starting to cry. "No… N-n-no…"

Gizmo just keeps laughing. He turns to the rest of the HIVE. "C'mon. Let's go. Might as well leave her to suffer."

All I can think of is Terra. How she betrayed her team. How she betrayed Slade. How she made Rose scream and shout, and left such a mark on the Titans. How she tore their whole world apart.

How Slade died.

How she died.

No, it's not my fault. It's their's! It's the HIVE's fault for not talking him out of it! For letting him go!

For letting him die!

I raise my hand, poised to strike my fingers and give them such bad luck they won't see tomorrow. They'll pay for this! I'll hurt them, I'll…

"JINX!"

It's Kid Flash.

"Stay out of this." I try to be commanding but it fades into a plea. "Please stay out of this!"

"And let you hurt them?" he asks.

"_You don't have to hurt people to feel good about yourself,"_

He said that to me the day we met. I glance up at him. He has that look in his eyes. It makes me want to cry.

I look back at the HIVE. Kyd Wykkyd is staring at me. There's an expression in his eyes. I think its pity.

I don't want his pity. I look away.

When I look back, they're gone.

I wheel around to face Kid Flash.

"This is your fault!" I scream. Tears are flowing freely down my face, smudging Argent's makeup and soaking my chin. "If you hadn't come along, none of this would have happened! I would still be with the HIVE, and See-More wouldn't be frozen! If I hadn't fallen in love with you, I wouldn't have broken his heart!"

I just said that out loud.

I can feel all the expression crumble out of my face, and I'm left staring blankly at Kid Flash. He's staring right back at me, right into my eyes. I feel like his eyes, like that _look_, is seeing right through me and making me say crazy things.

I turn back around. I can't look at him.

"I'm sorry. Forget I said that, I didn't mean it." I pause, and add, "Any of it."

"Forgotten." he says quietly. I've never heard him talk quite like that. He sounds…

Hurt.

I turn my head over my shoulder to face him. He still has that look. It's in his eyes, his face, his whole body. He's just _looking_ at me, not saying anything. Just looking. That look, that _look_… I…

I know what it is.

It's… Love.

I turn around. I look at him.

Maybe I can't see my own face, but I hope… I hope that when he's looking at me, he sees that same look. I hope everything he's thinking is being reflected right back into him when he looks into my eyes. I hope he knows. What I'm thinking, what I want, what I need, what I feel, because right now, everything is him. I'm thinking about him, I want him, I need him, I feel him. I hope he knows I love him. Because I think, for the first time, _I_ know. I know that he loves me. But I can only hope that I'm right.

"I meant it."

It comes out in such a tiny whisper. It's too small. It's not enough. I try again. "I meant it." I repeat, louder this time.

I think he knows. Maybe he knew all along. But there's something in his eyes that tells me he knows.

I could stop. He knows. I know. We could stop. We could leave it at this. But we can't. I can't. I can't just let him _know_. I have to tell him. And I have to hope he'll tell me. I look straight into his eyes, those clear blue eyes. I have to tell him.

"Kid Flash, I love you."

He's quiet. For a long time he's just quiet, just looking at me. But I this silence… I don't think it means no. I don't think it means that he doesn't…

He takes a step forward. And another. I walk towards him as well, slowly, but fast enough. We get closer and closer, until we're standing face to face, and all I can see is him. Him, and just a little bit of me, reflected in his eyes.

We're so close we almost touch. So close… So close… And we just keep moving closer.

"Jinx, I love you."

He said it. I said it. _We_ said it.

We lean in, just a little bit closer. And my eyes close. And our lips meet.

His lips are soft and hard, strong and gentle, big and small. They're everything. Everything I'm thinking, everything I want, everything I need, everything I feel. They're everything.

I bring my arms around his neck, and feel his hands wrap around my back. And for a minute we just kiss. Not speaking, not looking. Just feeling.

His lips… His kiss… It's a lot like that look. There's only one word for that vast, endless everything that it means.

Love.

_All that I am_

_All that I ever was_

_Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see_

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Notes:

And _that_ was The Crème Brulee.

Sorry it took so long, as usual! (That took… About five months, I think. T-T Well, summer is coming up, so I should be able to go a little faster.) Anyway, I am so unbelievably proud of this chapter. I have never written anything quite like this story. I think that the romance came out so perfectly in this chapter. This chapter is sort of the romantic climax of the story. (There is another climax of sorts coming later, accompanied by its own twist, which I call The Exploding Watermelon. XD) I just love Kid Flash and Jinx together (well, no duh. XD) and writing them finally admitting their feelings made me so happy! XD ^-^;;

Of course, the real Crème Brulee is not the kiss, but the HIVE attacking the restaurant during Jinx and Kid Flash's date. (If it counts as attacking? Maybe Billy, Mammoth, and Kyd Wykkyd were robbing the cash register while Jinx and Gizmo were talking/fighting? XD) And the news about See-More being frozen. I had a hard time with that. (Which is mostly why this chapter took so long!) I was not sure exactly what should happen. A friend of mine suggested having See-More be at the restaurant with the rest of the HIVE, and having him kiss Jinx. I considered this for a while, but decided that I liked having him be frozen a little better. As Gizmo said, he chose to freeze because Jinx broke his heart. I look forward to writing the repercussions this knowledge has on her. In a way, Jinx considers herself a murderer, which will most definitely come into play later. In a way, this chapter and the last are a two-parter. In the last chapter, Jinx comments on how she does not understand how Terra left such an impression on the Titans and "broke their whole world apart". The irony of that is that it is exactly what she did to See-More and the HIVE. She also made a theory about happy endings, and now she is dangerously close to having to test it.

Next, the fangirls! I love them! XD I mostly just stuck them in there as a way to show passing of time, but are they not adorable? XD I think I renamed and changed the lyrics for this chapter about five times. And lastly, I had _Chasing Cars_ by Snow Patrol on repeat while I wrote the last part of this chapter. That song works miracles. XD

The title of this chapter comes from _Chasing Cars_ by Snow Patrol. The lyrics at the end also come from that song.

Review Responses:

Archerelf: Well, my cousin likes to give me makeovers in about fifteen minutes, but it probably takes a lot longer for it to look really, really good. Perhaps Argent is a makeover goddess? XD She does not hate Lena, but she was upset about being compared to Lena, because Lena would not let herself fall in love (at least, in book one? XD), and Jinx does not want to be like that.

Xxpheonix-girlxx: Thank you!

KF Fan: Thank you! The stream of consciousness is one of my favorite things to write.

Freakycuteducky: Apparently he can. I think superheroes must have some pretty massive connections?

Uberscribe: Thank you very much! I have always seen this Kid Flash as Wally, but that is just me. (I think Barry is the Flash, as I mentioned in this chapter.) I love Bart too, though! I used him in one of my other stories, and he may make a guest appearance in this one. Yay, someone got my joke! XD As for Rosie, yes, she is Rose Wilson.

Lemony anemone: Thanks! I really owe a lot of my portrayal of Argent to a friend of mine, who is Argent in an rp I am in. Her Argent is completely hilarious, and we sometimes steal our Argents from each other. XD


	8. Into the Ocean

**Into the Ocean**

The next morning, I wander into the main room. Argent practically pounces on me.

"Jinx!" she squeals. "There you are! We were looking for you!" She leads me over to the couch, where Wonder Girl is sitting, watching something on TV. I think it's a soap opera.

I glance around. "Where are the guys? Where's Rose?" I ask.

"Oh, Rose is still asleep." Argent replies casually. "As for the boys, we sent them to get breakfast…" I nod, expecting them to be back in a matter of seconds, before she adds, "In Japan."

My mouth falls open. "What?"

"We wanted to talk you privately! " Argent exclaims. Wonder Girl nods. I guess I should have seen this coming. I can't say I'd be surprised if Argent had tied them up in a closet, just so she could bombard me with questions. I basically fell into bed the second I got home. By now, I bet Argent is desperate to hear about my… Date.

I sit down on the couch. "Alright, then. Start talking." I say, glaring at them slightly. I'm suddenly feeling self-conscious about the fact that I'm still in pajamas.

"So how was it?" Argent asks.

"Did he kiss you?" Wonder Girl chimes in.

Did he kiss me? I want to scream, shout "YES!" at the top of my lungs. I want to announce it to the whole world. He kissed me! He _kissed_ me! Not only that, but he told me that he _loves_ me!

And I told him that I love him.

But something holds me back. I can't tell them that. Not without… Without telling them what happened to See-More. I can't just tell the good things, that I'm in love, that he loves me… I can't just tell them that and not tell them the bad.

That I'm a murderer.

I take a deep breath. "It was… Fine."

"And?" Argent asks.

"And what?" I say, even though I think I know the answer.

"Did he kiss you?" Wonder Girl repeats. Just what I thought she meant.

"Yeah." I say quietly. "He did."

Wonder Girl squeals excitedly. "Yes!"

She and Argent exchange a high five, as Argent adds, "It's a happy ending!"

Happy ending.

Those two words make me cringe. Happy ending. Happy ending.

There's no such _thing_ as a happy ending.

For some reason, Argent's _The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants_ comparison comes to my mind. Lena. How did I get stuck being compared to _Lena_? How did I get stuck being compared to the girl who was just one tragic love story after another? I'm not some _Romeo and Juliet_ just waiting to happen!

Oh, who am I kidding? I'm a Juliet if there ever was one. Right down to the fact that someone _killed himself_ over her.

Guess there's one difference. I'm not dead.

I sink a little lower into the couch cushion. Yeah, I'm alive. So what? What's the use if I know that See-More's… An ice sculpture! And it's all my fault.

Maybe last night I tried to place blame. On Madame Rouge or Gizmo or Kid Flash, anyone but me. But I was just… Mad. It's not true. There's no one to blame but me. Everything that happened to the HIVE was my fault. I took their world in my hand and let it fall. I let it crash into a million little pieces, and then just walked away. I left them to cut their hands on the tiny shards of broken glass.

I don't care what anyone says. What I did is just like what Terra did. I don't care if she turned bad and I turned good. I don't care if she died and I'm here with the chance to start over. I don't care if I'm… Everything she could have been if things had gone right.

I'm no better than her.

"So, tell us about it!" Argent exclaims. She starts to bombard me with questions. "Did he like your outfit? How was the food? How long did he kiss you for? Did he tell you he loves you? Did you tell him?" Her eyes gleam on that last one.

I narrow my eyes at her, but answer anyway. "Yes, good, I wasn't timing…" My rapid-fire answers stop. Hesitantly, I add, "Yes, and yes."

"Oh. My. God." Argent says, grinning.

"That's _amazing_!" Wonder Girl adds. They're practically more excited than I am.

On second thought, they're not. I'm so happy about it, it almost makes me forget… Well, everything else.

The door swings open, and in comes a multi-colored blur. "We're back!" I hear Kid Flash before I see him. As he slows to a walk, he leaves a bag of food on the counter, and then runs up to me.

"Hi!" he says, resting a hand on my shoulder. I am blushing like _mad_. I know I am. I can hear Wonder Girl and Argent squeak happily, and Hotspot groan. I should really get around to blowing something up in their faces, just to show them I can.

"I got you something," Kid Flash says. He holds out a small porcelain… Cat?

"A cat?" I ask.

"It's one of those feng shui cats. It'll bring you good luck." He chuckles. "Made me think of you. You know, because it's good luck, and it's pink."

"Ha ha. Very funny." I joke, rolling my eyes and pretending to be annoyed.

Kid Flash grins. "The pink ones bring you good luck in love."

A smile spreads on my face. "Okay, that's pathetic." I laugh. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." He says, grinning even more.

The door flies open again. There's a massive blur of color, and a shout of "UNCLE WALLY!"

The next thing I know, a gust of wind pushes me a few steps back, and a boy with messy brown hair is clinging to Kid Flash, who looks confused, to say the least.

"No way! Bart?" Wonder Girl exclaims.

"There's _two of them_?" Hotspot shouts.

I raise an eyebrow. "Wally?"

Kid Flash laughs nervously and scratches the back of his head. "Yeah, Wally. Guys, this is my nephew, Bart." He turns to the boy. "Bart, what are you doing here?"

"I'm showin' my friends the tower!" Bart exclaims. He talks so fast it's hard to make out a word. "It's so cool that you're livin' here in Wing!"

"He brought friends?" Hotspots demands, glaring at Bart.

"Yes, he brought friends!" chimes in another voice. I turn to see two girls and a dark haired boy standing by the door. The girl who's talking has short blonde hair. "Real nice of you to introduce us, Scarecrow." Bart doesn't seem to notice, and he dashes over to the couch.

"HeyDonna,howsitgoin'?" He exclaims, making it sound like one word. Donna? He grabs the remote from Wonder Girl and starts flipping channels so fast that's it's dizzying. "Cool, TV!"

Kid Flash shakes his head, and then gestures towards the girl. "This is Bart's friend Cassie," he gestures towards the boy, "this is Tim," he gestures towards the second girl, also a blonde, but with longer hair. "And this is… Anna, right?"

"Not anymore," she answers, "my _Mom_ found out I was using Anna. Completely ruined it. So now it's Cissie."

"What? When did this happen?" Tim asks her. "How did you get Cissie out of Suzanne?"

"Yesterday. And it came from her middle name, Cecelia. I came up with it." Cassie declares proudly.

I walk over to Kid Flash, one eyebrow still higher than the other. "Two things. One, what are they doing here? And two…Wally?"

"One, I have no idea. Two, Wallace Rudolph West." He snickers. "And, yeah, before you ask, I know. My nephew's a _dork_."

"I wasn't gonna ask that." I tell him, even though I was. Figure I'll humor him.

"Hang on, Bart, go back! Go back!" Cissie exclaims, flailing for the remote. Bart starts to click the channel in the opposite direction. "Okay, stop! _Stop_!" I have no idea how she keeps up with the channel when it's going that fast.

It's the news. The newscaster stands in front of a pile of rubble, and he looks soaked. The caption on the bottom reads _San Diego sinks underwater. Earthquake destroys America's Finest City._

"I'm live in San Diego," the newscaster says, "where an earthquake has just split the city in half. One half has sunken into the Pacific Ocean. Areas that are confirmed to be underwater include the San Diego Zoo, the…"

"Oh my…" Argent comments, leaning on the back of the couch. My communicator goes off as she speaks. I pull it out of my pocket. It's Robin.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"Did you hear about what happened in San Diego?" he questions.

"Yup." Kid Flash answers.

"Good," Robin continues. "The Justice League is out there, and they called me a while ago to ask for help. Your team and the Titans East can be there faster than us, so head over as soon as you can. I'll tell Bumblebee to contact you when she gets there."

"Got it." I tell him. The communicator shuts off. I glance down at my pajamas, and then turn to Kid Flash. "I'm gonna go change."

* * *

"I don't like it here." Rose declares loudly, for the fourth time. She's seated herself down on a stack of debris, her arms around her knees. Wonder Girl goes to sit next to her.

"I know, Rosie," she says sympathetically. "But, we have to help the people who's home just sunk underwater, okay?" Rose shrugs her shoulders.

"I don't like it here." she repeats.

We've been "here" for hours. Once the Titans East and West showed up, the Justice League stuck us on rescue missions. The Titans West and Aqualad have been in and out of the water and the T-Sub, while Kid Flash, Mas y Menos, and Bart, who begged us to let him and his friends come, are constantly running between here and the nearest hospitals.

"I don't like it here either." I tell her, sitting down. There's too much… Death. Which sounds funny from the girl who used to go around hurting people for fun. But maybe not so much from the girl who just found out she killed someone.

I can see a blur coming from behind me. It stops, and then Kid Flash is next to me, panting for breath. He's been running back and forth so much, I'm surprised it took him this long to get tired. "Whew, I need a break," he says, collapsing next to me. He sits so close we're almost touching.

Slowly, I reach out and take his hand. It almost surprises me when he squeezes my hand a little tighter and moves his foot so it touches mine. I guess we really are… Together. I let my head drift closer to his shoulder, but at the last second I jerk it away. Too close. Last night, we were so close, I could touch him and kiss him and tell him how I felt. Last night everything was perfect. Last night nothing else mattered. Today we're sitting in the wake of a disaster. Everything seems to matter.

Carefully, I pull my hand away. Today, I'm not good enough for him.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Robin and Bumblebee gesture at us. "Kid Flash, Jinx!" Robin shouts, "Leader meeting!"

We join them, on another pile of rubble. The remains of another building. Another disaster.

"I've noticed something," Robin begins, as I seat myself down on someone else's tragedy. "A lot of the people we're rescuing from the water aren't breathing above water. The second we get them to dry land they seem to lose their ability to breathe. Some of them have lost consciousness. I figure it's only a matter of time before they suffocate."

"What?" I say, shaking me head lightly. "That doesn't even make sense. Why wouldn't they be breathing?"

"Maybe something in the water is giving them," Kid Flash hesitates before choosing the word, "gills."

"That's impossible," I retort. "People don't just grow gills."

"Doesn't Aqualad have gills?" Kid Flash asks.

"Yeah, but he was born with them, right?" I protest. "That doesn't count."

"I don't know how he got them," Bumblebee admits, "but I don't think we should rule out people growing gills."

"It doesn't matter why they aren't breathing," Robin says. "The important thing is how we solve it."

"I hate to ask this, but how are we going to do that?" I say. Robin looks at me. At least, I think he's looking at me. It's hard to tell through the mask. He sighs, and straightens himself up.

"I don't know."

It's weird seeing Robin like this. He's always had a plan. As a villain, he was the hero I was always a little nervous about. The other Titans were easier to take down, but Robin always had something up his sleeve. I can't think of any reason why things are different right now, but they are. He's got nothing.

I stand up. "Whatever, we'll figure something out." I decide. I think I was trying to be supportive, but it came out a funny combination of condescending and empathetic, tinted with both the fact that I know how to beat Robin in combat and the fact that I think he's upset.

Suddenly, I hear a crash, and something that sounds like screaming. Bumblebee jumps to her feet, her weapons poised for attack in her hands. Robin draws his bo, and I'm so used to it pointing at me that I'm surprised it's not.

Just as Kid Flash runs off to find the noise, the screams change to coughs and gasps. When he comes back, he declares, half smiling, "Gill theory wins."

Robin, Bumblebee and I follow him to a spot a few feet away, where, amidst the rubble, sits a girl who's basically… Choking on air. Through her struggling wheezes she manages to ask, "Please… Have you… Seen my cl-class? I wa-was on… A… Field trip with… my class… Miss Christopher's… Fourth grade class… From the…" she collapses on the ground before she can finish her sentence. Robin rushes to pick her up, suddenly back to normal.

"Jinx, find Kid Flash's nephew or Mas y Menos and get her to a hospital. Bumblebee, get the rest of the Titans and search this area for other. Kid Flash…" Something in his face falls, just for a second, before he finishes, "tell Batman."

* * *

Somehow, I got stuck on hospital duty. Robin showed up not too long ago. From the bench in the hall outside the room where the girl we found earlier is, I can hear him arguing with the nurse.

"People aren't breathing! How can you be sure this isn't medical?" he asks. He's using a tone that I'm familiar with, the one he always uses when he interrogates villains. Wow, Robin sure mood swings fast. One minute he's all… Leadery. One minute he's a detective. The next minute he's almost… Sad.

The nurse says something in response, but at that moment, Kid Flash rushes into the room in a burst of color. A he slows to a stop, he scoops me into his arms and kisses me, so deeply and fiercely that for a moment it seems like last night again. For a moment, all I want to do is feel his lips against mine and feel the warmth of his touch. For a moment, it doesn't even matter that See-More is…

The moment passes.

I pull myself away and ask, "What was that for?" Kid Flash smiles. That big, goofy smile makes me want to kiss him again. But I can't, no matter how much I want to.

"I just wanted to kiss you. You looked so beautiful sitting there." I think he might be blushing. The grin turns to a laugh, and now I'm sure he's blushing. "I guess I just couldn't help it."

"That's so sweet…" I murmur. How can someone like me be good enough for someone like him?

"So, why are you here?" I ask, trying desperately to change the subject.

"I need to talk to Robin." Kid Flash replies.

I narrow my eyes at him. "And you didn't use your communicator because?"

His smile widens. "I wanted to see you."

Well, so much for changing the subject.

"Back in a sec!" He dashes into the room, the door swinging back and forth in the sudden gust of wind. "Batman says we should take the rest of the night off." I hear him tell Robin. "He say's he'll get someone on the breathing thing. Aqualad wanted to stay and help since he can breathe underwater, but everyone else is crashing at your tower. You mind?"

"No. You and Jinx go to the tower. I'll stay here and work. It's my case, I found it."

There's a silence before Kid Flash says slowly, "Dude, I know you and your dad have…"

"He isn't my dad."

"Yeah. Look, I know you and Batman have some problems, but don't you think you're overworking yourself?"

Robin's voice rises. "He said he's thinking of hiring a new Robin! All because of a pointless fight we had years ago! You, of all people, should understand that!"

"Not really," Kid Flash replies. I think he's trying not to yell, but his voice is halfway there. "I was flying solo because I wanted to, not because I was mad at Barry or something. And Bart starting his training doesn't have anything to do with me. Once I'm the Flash, he'll be Kid Flash. It's just how my family does it."

"Well it's not how mine does."

"So? Diana's thinking of training a new Wonder Girl and I haven't heard Donna complain! And Bart's friend Cissie? Her mom wants her to work with the Green Arrow! We may not be sidekicks anymore, but someone's still gotta do it! Don't you think you're being a little… Immature?"

"Immature? Who are _you _to call _me_ immature? _You_ trusted someone who almost turned you in to the Brotherhood of Evil!"

Kid Flash sounds like he's still trying to keep calm when he says, "At least I didn't get her killed."

"That was different!"

"Why, because she was working for Slade? You may have been forced to work for him, but that doesn't change what happened to Terra! It isn't different! Grow up, Dick!"

"_You _grow up, Wally! I'm not the one with a crush on a villain!"

The almost furious tone in Kid Flash's voice disappears, replaced with something… Cold. "Jinx isn't a villain."

"Well she was one."

There's a banging noise, and I have a sickening feeling that Kid Flash just pinned Robin to the wall. When he speaks again, it's clear he's forgotten any attempts at rationality.

"SO WERE YOU! I DON'T JUDGE YOU ON IT, SO DON'T YOU _DARE _JUDGE HER!"

I can't take this. I fling the door open. Robin, as I expected, is backed up against the wall. Kid Flash looks about ready to throttle him. The nurse seems to have disappeared, and the girl from earlier is peering out from behind, ironically, _The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants_. She's pretending to read, but I call tell she's really watching the fight. I know it's not the time to point it out, but she seems to be breathing just fine.

"Kid Flash, stop it!" I exclaim sharply, grabbing his arms and forcing him away from Robin. Robin looks at me, angry but maybe a little relieved. If there's some guilt in there, good. There should be.

"Come on, we're leaving." I tell Kid Flash, taking his hand and pulling him away from the room. Just as we reach the door, I turn to Robin and add, "Nice to know I'm a valued member of your team."

I slam the door shut.

We're at Titans Tower almost as soon as we leave the room. Kid Flash brings us to a halt just outside the door, and I say, "We need to talk."

I've always thought it was weird that Titans Tower is on an island, but right now I'm thankful for it. We sit down on the edge and I stare out at the city. What in the world am I supposed to say now?

Kid Flash breaks the silence. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't bear hearing him say those things about you. It's weird. I've known him for years and we've never fought like that before."

"It's okay. I wouldn't have stood for it either. That's not what we're talking about." I have to come right out and say it. I breathe deeply and continue, "Kid Flash, Robin's right. I was a villain. You're a hero. And I'm… I'm not good enough for you."

He moves to hug me, so fast that I can't push him away, so tight that I can hear his heart beat.

"In that case," he starts, "I'm going right back there and punching Robin in the face. Maybe I'll graffiti my name on every wall in the hospital while I'm at it. And if you still think I'm too good for you, I'll steal all the toilet paper in the state of Rhode Island."

I can't help it. I burst out laughing. "What?"

"Yeah!" He's on a roll now. "I'll… Make it into a sculpture! A sculpture of a giant toilet! Yeah, I'll call it the Leaning Toilet of Paper!" he speaks the title with a mock Italian accent.

I'm laughing so hard my stomach hurts. Kid Flash seems to take this as a challenge. "Then I'll switch it with the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and all the tourists will looks at it and wonder, "How do you think it stays titled like that without flushing?""

"Okay, okay, I get it!" I exclaim. "Stop now or I'm gonna puke all over you!"

When I finally manage to stop laughing, he whispers, "Seriously, though. Of course you're good enough for me. Why wouldn't you be?"

I break out of the hug.

"It's my fault See-More is dead."

Kid Flash looks at me. _That_ look. It's sort of comforting, now that I know what it means.

"He's frozen, not dead," he tells me. "And even if he was… Jinx, he did it to himself."

I plunge a pebble into the water. It lands with a satisfying splash. "Because of what I did. If I'd stayed…"

He interrupts me. "Then you'd be unhappy."

A moment goes by.

I throw another pebble, watching the ripples in the water as it sinks.

"Yeah," I whisper. "That too."

Something would have gone wrong. Whether I'd stayed or not, something would have gone wrong. He could be dead, I mean frozen, I mean… Even if I'd stayed, I hurt him enough just by falling in love with someone else. Even if he hadn't died, I'd be unhappy. Even if he hadn't died it wouldn't be a…

A happy ending.

There's no such _thing_ as a happy ending.

I stand up. "Come on," I say. "Let's go inside." I can't talk about this anymore.

When we reach the door, Kid Flash stops. He puts a hand on my shoulder, leans forward, and kisses me. Soft and short, but sure.

He runs inside, and I follow him.

_I want to swim away but don't know how_

_Sometimes it feels just like I'm falling in the ocean_

_Let the waves up take me down_

_Let the hurricane set in motion... yeah_

* * *

Did everyone find the story okay after the title change? I probably should have told you guys about that before hand! Sorry! I just felt like the titles and lyrics I was using for the story and chapters were not working, and I needed to change it up. The wait between chapters was not too long this time, I think. Better than the five month wait last time, right? Still sorry about that! XD If anyone wants to, feel free to challenge me to a deadline for the next chapter. I cannot guarantee I will meet it, but I can try!

Now, about the actual chapter! The title and song lyrics come from _Into the Ocean _by Blue October. This is the "watermelon" of the "exploding watermelon", and now I shall slowly lay the TNT until the watermelon is ready to go kaboom! XD The watermelon actually blew in my face while I was writing the chapter, but I got rid of a scene so now the watermelon has yet to blow. (I really like this analogy. XD XD XD I also love that face too much. XD) Another thing that just sort of happened without me expecting it too was the fight between Robin and Kid Flash. I had not planned it, but it just sort of came out and it ended up being the climax of the chapter. I really like that about this chapter, because it does not start out having to do with Jinx. It starts out about Batman. The argument starts out kind of cold, but once they start to use each other's real names it gets personal. And I think that makes it kind of interesting. And then Jinx takes the argument and kind of turns it into something about herself with that little side comment to Robin and the things she later says to Kid Flash. The whole thing was unintentional, but it really worked!

Okay, it's disclaimer time. The San Diego sinking underwater thing was not my idea, but a plot that I lifted from the _Aquaman_ comics. I needed some kind of disaster because I want to use some of the other Titans (like Robin), and I just thought that the San Diego plot from _Aquaman_ was a neat idea. The girl they found, by the way, is none other then a ten-year-old version of Lorena Marquez, who is Aquagirl in the comics. Just because I could not write Sub Diego without Lorena. XD I wanted to play with Sub Diego and see how it fits into this world, which is also why I am using Bart, Cass, Ciss and Tim! (For those of you who do not know, Bart, Cassie, Cissie, and Tim are Impulse/Kid Flash II/Flash IV, Wonder Girl, Arrowette, and Robin III, respectively. They were all on a team called Young Justice for a while in the comics.) I am such a big YJ dork, and Ireally love these characters, so I decided I had to see what they would be like in the _Teen Titans _cartoon's universe. XD They will, in their own strange little way, help blow up the watermelon. Also, Bart recently died in the comics, and I needed to give him some kind of tribute because I love him. Speaking of Bart, I would like to point out that I messed up the Flash family tree. Last chapter, I mentioned Barry as being Wally's uncle, which is impossible, since Bart is Barry's grandson and I have been saying Wally is Bart's uncle, especially since Wally and Bart are actually cousins in the comics. Um, oops? Okay, how do I retcon this? Wow, I write really long author's notes. XD

\Review Responses:

Archerelf: Thanks! Naming plot twists is fun. I can see why the people on _Lost_ do it. XD

Titangirl797: Thank you so much! I am glad they admitted it too. XD

Freakycuteducky: It made you cry? I am so unbeleiveable flattered! I can barely believe my writing made you feel that much. Thank you! I really wish I had thought of having him ditch the bill. That would have been awesome. XD

Lemony anemone: Thanks!


	9. Heroes and Thieves

Heroes and Thieves

"Jinx, look at this!"

I glance up at Argent from the air mattress I've been sleeping on in Starfire's room the past few days, when we're not in San Diego. It wasn't really my first choice, the air mattress in Starfire's room. But Bumblebee, Pantha, Cassie, Cissie, Melvin, Timmy, and Teether all called dibs on Raven's room. And that was a lot of people to stuff into one room. So, Wonder Girl, Argent, Kole, Rose and I ended up in Starfire's hot pink bedroom on a variety on sleeping bags and air mattresses. It's not _so_ bad, I guess. After all, Raven's room has a lot of… Bird-like things. Not to mention masks and magical books. I really don't know how she sleeps at night with all of those _eyes_. I'm willing to admit it, her room is _creepy_.

Besides, after Robin's little outburst a few days ago…

I don't want to know what Raven thinks of me.

"What's up, Argent?" I toss aside the pad of paper I've been doodling on. I do _not_ want Argent to know my unicorn drawing have shifted to sketches of, well… Kid Flash.

"You'll never guess what I found," Argent declares. The smirk on her face is starting to worry me.

"What did you find?" Starfire, Kole, Wonder Girl and Rose ask at the same time. They all seem very… Curious. That can't be good.

"Well," Argent continues, her little smirk turning into a huge, excited grin, "I just got the new issue of _Super Teen!_, and…" She trails off. Is she _trying_ to torture me? Yeah, I bet she is.

"And?" Starfire, Kole, Wonder Girl, and Rose echo.

"You'll never guess who's on the cover…" Argent says in a singsong tone.

"You?" I ask. I roll my eyes. Oh, good. It's just Argent admiring her own fashion sense. It's not something bad, like… Someone getting a picture of _me_ in there or something.

"Nooo…" she mocks.

"Who?" demands the Greek chorus. If I made their pillows explode, would that start a pillow fight?

"Look at this!" Argent exclaims, whipping the magazine out from behind her back.

There are five pairs of wide-rimmed eyes fixated on me.

No. Way.

"Wait, slow down! I'm on the cover of what? How? Why? Huh?"

Argent sighs impatiently and marches to my coat, followed by everyone else in a small parade. The magazine is thrust into my hands.

Oh. My. God. I am on the cover.

Kid Flash and I. A picture of us at the restaurant, with the caption "Flinx! It's Official!". My first date with Kid Flash is documented in a teen magazine for all of eternity? This _has _to be some kind of sick joke.

"You're not really the cover story," Argent says, gesturing lightly at a larger picture promoting an interview with some actor, "but there's a nice big article about it. And some _lovely_ pictures. It's quite the honor, Jinx, darling, if I do say so myself."

I don't respond. I flip the magazine open. Where is it? No, I don't want any free makeup, you stupid ad, now tell me where the freaking article is!

Found it.

The article has it's own cover page. A two-page spread. The title is at the side of the page, in big pink letters. _FLINX! The Teen Titan's very own Romeo and Juliet_.And there's a picture. It fills most of the spread. It's us. Kid Flash and I. At the restaurant.

There I am. Pretty red dress. Ruby necklace. Strands of wavy pink hair sticking to my tear soaked face. Ruined mascara down my checks, too black against my too white skin. I hate my skin. I hate this unnatural white, this _skin _that made my family disown me and leave me to be a villain. I hate it. It's too white. It's too easy to see the lines of black etching weakness into my face for the world to see.

And then there's him. Oh, wow. . Despite all the running around he'd been doing that night, he has barely a hair out of place. And his _skin_. He looks so dark and rosy and _alive _compared to me. I just look like a corpse, a dead, white _nothing_. I look like Juliet after she plunged a dagger into her own heart, not this happy, living Juliet the magazine is making me out to be.

We're kissing.

It's a picture of us kissing.

That amazing, beautiful, wonderful, prefect, loving kiss. His perfect lips are against mine, my too grey with smudging red lipstick lips.

I turn the page to the article itself. "Read it out loud!" Rose begs, like a little kid in an ice cream parlor begging for two scoops instead of one.

"Oh, yes, do read it out loud!" Starfire exclaims. Make that three scoops. Really, just give 'em a sundae. And please don't make me read this. Please. Wonder Girl must be a mind reader. She nudges Argent softly with her elbow, and Argent begins to read.

" '_Just a few days ago, I happened to be dining at Le Papillion in Chicago. Good thing I had my camera, because you guys won't believe who I spotted: Jinx and Kid Flash, of the newly formed Teen Titans North. Last week, when Teen Titans' leader, Robin, fresh from that fabulous trip to Tokyo, announced that Jinx had officially joined the good guys, well, we all knew it was just a matter of time before Kid Flash and Jinx became bf/gf. I mean, who doesn't see the chemistry between those two? She a bad-girl-gone-good, and he's the good-boy-with-the-bad-boy-smile who helped her go good. Don't you see how perfect it is? Obviously, Jinx and Kid Flash do. I was so excited to the see them at the restaurant the other night, on what I was sure was a date. She had on a stunning red dress, and he looked positively dashing in a suit. They were way too dressed up and at way too fancy a restaurant for it to be a casual dinner between friends. And it certainly wasn't, in more then one way. Bad news first, then real bad, then good, really good I promise. The bad? Before the appetizer even arrived, the restaurant was attacked by Jinx's old team the HIVE FIVE (see box). Why were they there? I'd say they were way jealous. Why else would Kid Flash have to fight them off, while Jinx and her old teammate Gizmo had what seemed to be a heated dispute. I couldn't quite tell what they were arguing about, but it sounded nasty. I think it had something to do with former HIVE member See-More, who hasn't been seen around lately (but like I said, see box.). The real bad? After Gizmo and the HIVE left, Jinx seemed ready to blow Kid Flash off, screaming at him that it was all his fault, or something equally dreadful! The good news? She accidentally told him she loved him! She said it so loud I could hear it from my table. And then, right in front of the whole restaurant, they both told each other they loved each other! And then? They kissed. It was beautiful! The whole restaurant burst into applause, but I don't think the happy couple even noticed. They were too deep in each other's arms! It was the most romantic thing since, well, Robin and Starfire in Tokyo. This makes two happy couples in the Teen Titans. Here's to hoping for more, and here's to hoping that Flinx continues just as well as the rest of that dinner date: Perfectly. Romeo and Juliet would have been jealous. Article and photographs by Ava Marinn._' "

Oh. My. God.

Flinx. _Flinx_. Flinx? This is sickening.

This Ava person needs to get a life and stop spying and then writing articles about it. No, wait, _she's paid _to spy and then write articles about it. Never mind. More power to her for being good at her job.

"Oh, how _romantic_!" squeals Starfire.

"You even have a blended couple name!" adds Kole.

"Yeah. Blended couple name. I'm _so_ thrilled," I say sarcastically. "What's this box she keeps talking about?"

"Right here," Argent explains calmly, pointing out a blue box at the bottom of the page. The headline reads, "Whatever Happened to the HIVE Five?"

Oh. So _that's_ the box. "I can't see," Rose complains, trying to peer over Starfire's shoulder. "What does it say?" I start to read it out loud before Argent can.

" '_Now that Jinx is on the Titans, what's going to happen to her old team? Who will be the new leader of the group of students from the HIVE Academy, rumored to have once been located near San Diego? Why has See-More suddenly gone missing, making the HIVE Five (who really had six members counting Jinx) the HIVE Four, and does anyone even remember Private Hive? Here's the buzz, or at least the speculation:_

"_Gizmo: The boy who may have been Jinx's second-in-command seems to have taken over as the team's leader. He and Jinx had a heated run-in at Le Papillion, showing that all may not be forgiven, and the HIVE Five aren't exactly happy with their ex-teammate's decision. What's in store for this gadget-loving villain? Only time will tell how he handles the role of leadership, and how it affects his team. _

"_Mammoth: The team's physically strongest member, Mammoth is a force to be reckoned with. But with one-third of the original HIVE Three missing, will the power go to his head? With Jinx gone, Mammoth could easily decide that he would be a better leader them Gizmo, leading to a power struggle. Could Jinx just be an early causality to an upcoming HIVE civil war?_

"_Billy Numerous and Kyd Wykkyd: Respectively the loudest and quietest members of the team, the question about these two isn't whether they'll vie for the leadership position, but how they'll react if both Gizmo and Mammoth do. Billy might just pick a side, and considering he can turn into a small army, that side will likely win. But Kyd? He's never seemed like the confrontational type. If the HIVE Four became the HIVE Three, I'd have my money on Kyd as next to go._

"_See-More and Private Hive: Private Hive disappeared from the team months ago, but rumor has it that he was at that showdown with the Brotherhood of Evil in Paris. Where he is now, and why he left, is really anyone's guess. As for See-More? I hear he was at that BoE showdown too. I also overheard his name during that fight over at Le Papillion. Something about him being more or less dead. Anyone having flashbacks to that Slade's apprentice incident? The one the Titans all refuse to comment on, other then to say that Terra won't be rejoining the team? Yeah, I know I am._' "

I shut the magazine as hard as I can.

"I didn't know you saw them." Argent comments softly.

"Jinx…" Wonder Girl says slowly. "Do you, you know… Do you wanna, like, tell us what happened at the restaurant?"

"No," I reply.

"'Cause you know we'll try to help, right?" Kole asks.

"Yes, we are your friends!" adds Starfire. "We would love to be of assistance." Rose nods in agreement.

"I said no." I say sharply. I stand up, letting out a heavy breath, and hold out the magazine. "Can I borrow this?"

"Sure," Argent answers. "But…"

"I'll see you guys later." Out the door before they can say another word.

There is only one person I want to talk to. And it isn't any of them. He's been staying in Cyborg's room with a few other guys, most of Titans East, I think. He almost stayed with Robin, but…

I knock. "Yeah?" I hear someone say. I think it's Aqualad.

I open the door. "Is Kid Flash here?"

"Hey!" Kid Flash replies. He's playing a board game with Mas and Menos.

"Can I talk to you? Outside?"

"Sure!" he turns to Mas and Menos, says something in Spanish that I don't understand, and then we walk out of the room.

Once we're a little further away from the door, I hold out the magazine and ask, "Did you see this?" Kid Flash shakes his head. He looks confused

"Nope." I hand him the magazine and he reads it in the span of three seconds. "Whoa," is his response.

"Yeah. " I sink down onto the floor. "Whoa."

He sits down next to me but doesn't say anything. He rereads the article, again and again.

Finally, he just laughs. "I always its really weird when magazines call me Kid Flash. I mean, I know they don't know my real name, but, it's just strange, you know?

"I…" No. I'm not going to answer that question. I'm not telling the truth. I scoff, shrug it off likes its no big deal. "Of course I know. Everyone has a real name."

Kid Flash smiles, just a bit goofily. "So, what's yours?"

Great. Now I _have_ to answer that question. I can't lie my way out of it.I should have known this would come up eventually.

"Okay, you caught me," I sigh. "Everyone but me."

"You don't have a real name?"

"I'm sure I _have_ one," I reply. "I just don't know what it is. I spent most of my life in a mental hospital, remember? I was _really_ young. Like, not even _two_. I don't remember much from before then. I _do_ remember that my parents just sort of dropped me off and didn't even bother to tell them who I was. One of the nurses nicknamed me Jinx. It stuck. As far as I'm concerned, it _is _my real name."

"And why would you want a name from a family who didn't love you?" He guesses.

"Exactly." I change the subject, sarcastically saying, "I'm sure that nurse is really proud that the little girl she tried to help turned into a super villain."

He snickers. "Yeah, it would be a lot like Rose growing up to be a murderer." "Shut up." I snap. Kid Flash laughs.

"I'm sure that nurse is proud that you're a Titan now." He says. Then he smirks and continue, "One with a very cool boyfriend, I might add."

I swat his shoulder jokingly. "Someone's a little egotistical, huh?" He laughs and brings an arm around me.

_Pull away_, my head screams at me. _See-More died because of you, remember? You. Don't. Deserve. This._

No. No. I _do_. It's not my fault. I love him, and he loves me. I can do this. I _can_

I lean my head against his shoulder.

"If the HIVE Five goes to war with itself…" I whisper. I don't finish. I don't know what I'll do.

"They won't." Kid Flash softly.

"You don't know that."

"You're so cute when you're pessimistic," he laughs. "Really, don't freak out. It's just an article in a teen magazine."

"Right…"

Wrong. So wrong.

"Do you think he's still out there?" I ask. "Brother Blood, I mean? Do you think he's still trying to… Train villains?"

"Nah. I bet he's still in jail."

"You _bet_?" I repeat. Kid Flash laughs.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Robin makes sure he's still in jail on a regular basis. As in everyday. Maybe several times a day, knowing him," he jokes. He sounds mad. Resentful.

"I know you're mad at him. You don't have to pretend," I tell him.

He starts tapping his foot, fast enough that it phases through the floor and back again with each tap. "I'm not mad."

I roll my eyes. "I'm not falling for that."

He grins sheepishly. "Okay, tell me. How am I not getting that over you? It's working on _everybody _else." He's laughing, but I don't see how it's funny.

"Well I'm not _like_ everybody else," I snap. I close my eyes. I can't look at him. "I don't want you to have to pretend for me."

His arms move at the speed of light when he hugs me. Mine are slower, but they're just as strong.

Beast Boy comes running down the hall, banging open doors and shouting "Dudes, dinner!" Kid Flash laces his fingers through mine as we stand up. I really don't want to know how red my face is.

There aren't enough chairs or tables, so people end up sitting all over the place. Kole waves to me cheerfully from the couch, where she's sitting with Starfire, Wonder Girl, and Argent. Kid Flash grabs us a few slices of pizza as fast as he can, and we sit down.

Argent is dissecting the vegetables on her pizza, a disgusted look on her face. "We need some _real _food. I think I found a speck of red pepper on this and I _specifically_ asked that they only use _green_."

I roll my eyes at her, and say, "See, this is why you should stick with cheese." I gesture towards the slices of plain cheese pizza on my plate.

"Ew, no. The last time I had the cheese pizza here, I found a speck of _pepperoni_. Why anyone would want to soil perfectly good pizza with… _Processed meat _is beyond me," Argent scoffs, continuing to casually pick anything red off her pizza.

"Has anyone seen Gnaark?" Kole asks. "I haven't seen him since this morning. I'm getting worried. He's not used to being around so many people."

"I have not seen Robin since this morning either…" Starfire muses.

"I think I saw Gnaark hiding in the hallway closet earlier." Kid Flash says with a chuckle. "Robin… He's probably working."

Starfire smiles softly and nods. "I am worried about him. He has been working quite a lot."

"Why is he obsessing over this San Diego thing anyway?" I ask. "Isn't the JLA on it?"

"That's _why_ he's obsessing over it." Wonder Girl sighs. What is she talking about? Why would that make him obsess _more _over something? Wonder Girl takes one look at my face and says, "No one told her?"

"Told her what?" Argent asks suspiciously.

Wonder Girl bites her lip. "Will he be mad if we tell them?" Starfire shrugs her shoulders lightly, and Kid Flash grins.

"Maybe. All the more reason to," he jokes.

'Tell us _what_?" I demand. What in the world are they talking about?

"Robin is Batman's adopted son." Kid Flash answers. My jaw drops.

"_Seriously_?"

He nods. "They got in a fight a few years back. That's why Robin left Gotham to come here."

Wow. That… Actually kind of explains a lot. No wonder Robin was so mad when he was talking about Batman. Still… "What were they fighting about?" I ask.

"They did not agree with each others' methods of capturing the criminals." Starfire explains quietly. "Robin believed that Batman was cruel, and did not treat the villains as people. Batman believed Robin was… Dangerous."

"It got pretty bad. They were fighting all the time. Robin started threatening to quit and work independently. So… Batman fired him." Wonder Girl finishes. "They don't speak."

"Oh," I say. That's… Wow. He accused Batman of being… Cruel? He… _He's_ sort of… Cruel. I was just a villain to him. Just another threat to the city, another _thing_ to stop. Never a person. I never believed for a second that he thought of me as a person.

No. I did.

I lean my head on Kid Flash's shoulder. He strokes my hair gently. I did. When Cyborg gave me my communicator, when he told me Robin wanted to make _me_ an official Teen Titan. I thought he'd forgiven me. I thought everyone had forgiven me.

I guess I was wrong.

And dangerous. Robin isn't someone I'd ever call… _Dangerous_. I've stolen and been in jail and hurt people. But Robin? _He's_ never…

_Jinx isn't a villain._

_Well she was one._

_SO WERE YOU! _

So were you. Robin. Why didn't I realize that? He'd been talking… Talking to Robin. _Robin_. Robin was a… A…

"Nuh-uh!" Someone shouts. Rose?

"Uh-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh…"

"What is going on?" Raven exclaims, frustrated. A slice of pizza turns black and explodes. Ouch.

"She said I looked funny!" Rose explains. She's sobbing.

"She" is apparently Cassie, who replies with a loud "Well she does!"

"Cassie, leave her alone!" Tim interjects, as he and Cissie grab their friend by the arm and force her onto the couch. "She's just a little a kid!"

"I'm not _little_!" Rose screeches. I haven't heard her scream like this since that time we were talking about… Terra. What did Cassie say to her?

"Remind me again why we your let your nephew and his friends tag along?" Argent asks Kid Flash, who grins sheepishly.

"You don't look funny," Bart tells Rose. "It's just Cass's never seen a one-eyed person before.

"And you have?" Argent asks, one eyebrow raised. As Bart opens his mouth, she adds, "Movies don't count."

"Yeah. One time, I saw this guy with one-eye, and weird clothes, and a big beard that stuck out like this," he describes, gesturing with his hands.

"Where did you see a man like _that_?" Argent asks, sounding a bit disgusted.

Bart looks confused. "New York?"

"Wait, I think I saw him too. Was that when you and me went to see _Hairspray_ on Broadway, two Christmases ago?" Cissie asks. "And we got lost, and it was raining really hard so when we got home my mom yelled at us for getting wet?" She laughs, and adds, "He had white hair, right?" Bart nods.

White hair. This description is starting to sound kind of… Familiar. Kind of like… Kind of like Brother Blood. I don't think he ever lost an eye but…

No way. She couldn't be… Oh, God.

I nudge Kid Flash and gesture towards the hallway. He follows me, and the door closes automatically behind us. I lead him a bit farther away from the room, I don't want anyone to hear me. I just heard something. Did… Did the door just open again? No, no, I must be imagining things.

"Kid Flash… Brother Blood was in New York two Christmases ago."

He runs a hand through his hair. "You mean you think… I thought Brother Blood had two eyes?"

"Well, yeah, but the one eye thing could have been a disguise. And _Rose_… With the white hair and everything… Maybe her eye patch is a… A device. Maybe she's…" I trail off, swallowing the lump that's growing in my throat. "Working for him."

He takes a deep breath. "There is kind of a resemblance."

The article suddenly springs to mind. "San Diego." I say.

"What?"

"The article was right. The HIVE Academy used to be right by San Diego, before Cyborg destroyed it. We had this class project, an ion amplifier. I don't really know what happened to it, but the whole building went down and… It probably went down with it. Kid Flash, I… I think it might have caused the earthquake. And if Rose is working for Brother Blood then…" I'm starting to cry. Please don't let me be right. Kid Flash squeezes my hand. "Then that means they might have triggered the earthquake."

I hear footsteps.

I snap my fingers and whoever's there falls to the ground with a thud. I creep around the corner to see who's there. Lying on the ground, barely conscious, is Speedy.

_Heroes and thieves at my door_

_I can't seem to tell them apart anymore_

Notes

Okay, so to talk about this chapter, I have to talk about Bart. Because Bart is an idiot. He does not realize just how bad having one eye really is when it comes to the Teen Titans. And most of the Titans have not really figured it out either, but some of them are going to start to piece things together. Jinx is one of them, but she's also listening to Bart, which is not really a smart idea, because those of you who know Rose's comic background have probably figured out just how wrong Jinx is. Now, about Robin. I was not really sure why Robin was fired in the comics, or what the timeframe was, so I took some creative liberties there. (As well as with the way Kid Flash and Wonder Girl met Robin. I just thought it was weird that the cartoon never explained how KF and WG became Titans.) I think it is a really nice moment for Jinx. Robin has worked for Slade, but Jinx has no idea that ever happened. So, she is just realizing that Robin has done some bad things.

And, lastly, Flinx! That teen magazine article was so fun to write! Jinx's name was never revealed in the comics, and I have been having such a fun time creating a background for Jinx, so I wanted to throw that in there to play around with. I plan to make it into a cute little sub-plot.

The title and the lyrics at the end are from Heroes and Thieves by Vanessa Carlton. It took me _three weeks _to decide on that song.

Review Responses:

Melodine: Thank you so much!

Titangirl797: I love Kid Flash and Jinx as a couple too! (Well, duh. XD) Robin and Kid Flash's fight was really fun to write, and the ongoing drama is fun too. I have some plans for how that is going to end, and I think it is going to be kind of neat. XD

Archerelf: XD XD XD. Rhode Island was the first state that popped into my head when I was writing that scene. Kid Flash, give Archerelf's toilet paper back!

Lemony anemone: Same here. I figure I just will not really get into how Barry, Wally, and Bart are related too much, and just pretend it makes sense. XD I am glad you liked it!

Samantha Berii: Yay, you reviewed! Thank you! Yes, I have so much homework this year!

Special thanks to my brother for helping edit.


	10. Crushcrushcrush

**Crushcrushcrush**

Kid Flash begins tapping his fingers against the table in the empty room we found. I don't know why no one's using it. It's really nicely painted, with a landscape on the walls and stars on the ceiling. It's decorated like a bedroom, with a dresser and a bed and stuff, and it's big too. It would ease up on the crowding in some of the other rooms. But it's completely vacant.

Which makes it good for pacing. Very, very good. I've crossed the room a full seventeen times by now.

"Okay, so lets just assume for a second that what we think we know is true. So, theoretically, we know," he says. Eighteen times.

"Right," I reply.

"And _he_ knows." Nineteen.

"Right."

"And he knows that we know. And we know that he knows." Twenty.

"Right."

"And we know that he knows that we know. But he doesn't know we know that he knows that we know." Twenty-one.

"Right?"

"So… We know that he doesn't know that we know that he knows that we know, but he doesn't know that we know that he doesn't know that we know that he knows that we know."

Twenty… Oh, forget it. I collapse onto the couch next to him and throw up my hands. "Left."

He laughs for a second, and then starts tapping his foot in harmony with his fingers. "Well, the point is, we know more than he does."

"Yeah, but don't you think he'll figure out that we saw him once he comes too? He's probably already figured it out! He's had, like, over twelve hours! I mean, who's he gonna think knocked him out? _You_?"

Kid Flash grins at me. "Oh, I'm so glad to know you have faith in my combat skills." He's laughing at his own joke. It's _so_ cute. I'm smiling. I knocked Speedy _unconscious_ after he _eavesdropped_ on me, not to mention I think _Rose_ might be _evil, _and yet I'm _smiling_.

It's official. I am a lovesick _freak_. And it's… Oh, God, it's a _good_ thing, isn't it?

"I have plenty of faith in your combat skills," I tell him, laughing a little. "It's just that you would have needed to actually _touch_ him to knock him out, while I can do it without having to look at him. If it had been you, he probably would have seen it."

"Yeah, that's true. Still, that doesn't mean he knows it was you," he says tenderly. "There are plenty of people here who could _kill_ someone without having to look at them." He winces, and adds, "Jinx, I'm so sorry. That was a stupid choice of words."

"It's okay," I whisper. He reaches out and takes my hand in his.

"You didn't kill him. You didn't even _know_. " He says.

My eyes are starting to fill up with tears. I wipe them away with the back of my other hand. "Kid Flash… If Rose really _is_ working for Brother Blood… What are we gonna do?"

He takes a slow breath as he thinks. "I don't know. We could ask Speedy for help. Since he knows, and we know that he knows and…"

"Okay, okay! I get it, you don't have to say it again!" I exclaim. It makes him laugh. He's so _gorgeous_ when he laughs. And it's so cute that _everything_ makes him laugh, and his laugh is so amazing. When he laughs, he sort of leans forward, and he smiles from ear to ear, and when he smiles his eyes sparkle and…

Oh, come on, why can't I focus?

"We _could_ ask him, but… He was eavesdropping on us. And why would he do that? We… We're on his team." I can hear my voice start to get louder and firmer. "Who _spies_ on their own team? Why would he do that? Unless…" My voice drops back down to a whisper. "Unless he doesn't trust us."

"Yeah… There is that possibility." Kid Flash considers this for a moment and adds, "Don't worry about him. Speedy's kind of a jerk but he's harmless."

"What about Robin?" I snap. "_He's_ not harmless! He could kick me off the team."

"He could, but he wouldn't. He's smart enough to know that if he did, the public would be all over him about why. And he wouldn't have a reason because you didn't do anything. He's also smart enough to know that if he did that, he'd lose two valuable team members."

"Two?" I ask.

"I'd never stay on this team without you, Jinx," he replies, smiling at me. He… It's _that_ look. He… That look is always there. He… No matter what other emotions he's feeling, he… He always looks at me like that.

Wow.

"Jinx, I think you're overworking yourself. Do you wanna do something fun tonight?" Kid Flash asks.

"Sure," I say. "Just as long as fun doesn't mean going to Mexico."

Kid Flash laughs so hard that he actually puts his head down on the table for a second. "I was thinking Sydney, Australia, actually. It's beautiful this time of year."

He… He's _completely_ serious. I start to laugh with him. "How about a movie?" I ask through my laughter. "Something with lots of explosions."

"Really? 'Cause I've _always_ wanted to try that whole "chick flick date" thing," he says. He's still laughing and he's still completely serious.

"Yeah, but I've heard that movies with explosions make better date movies because you can just sit and make out the whole time and you won't miss anything important." I suggest, completely seriously. I stop laughing. He's surprised, but he's half-grinning.

"_Oh_. _My_. _God_. Did I just say that? Okay, never mind. I vote for the chick flick."

"I don't know," Kid Flash jokes. "Now I kind of want to see something with explosions." I glare at him, and he grins sheepishly. "Got it. Chick flick."

I lean my head against his shoulder, and ask, "Are we supposed to go to San Diego today?"

"The JLA wants us down there this afternoon,"

"Oh…" I say. "I guess… I guess we should try to figure out if the… The ion amplifier caused the earthquake. Do you think there's someone we could ask? Someone who was there?"

Kid Flash thinks a moment, then responds, "What about Lorena? The girl we helped bring to the hospital the first day we were here?"

"Oh, yeah," I say. "I forgot about her. That's worth looking into"

"I guess we're going to have to sneak away from working today…" Kid Flash comments, smirking.

"Unfortunately," I begin, "I agree with that." I don't want Robin to know what we're doing. I don't want Robin to know that I think Brother Blood caused the earthquake.

I don't want Robin to have another reason to hate me.

I sigh. "I guess we should get going," Kid Flash nods and we stand up, closing the door behind us as we leave the room.

The main room is full of people. Beast Boy and Cyborg are arguing over the microwave. Melvin, Timmy, Teether, Bart, Cassie, Cissie, Tim, and Rose are begging Jericho to play his guitar for them. Raven's trying to meditate. Bumblebee is doing paperwork. Pantha, Thunder, and Lightning are struggling to open what must be the strongest pickle jar in the world. Argent is talking with Starfire, who looks worried. Mas and Menos are watching something that looks like a Spanish soap opera. I don't see Robin or Speedy anywhere. Good.

Bumblebee sees us, and yells across the room, "Hey, Kid Flash! Robin needs me to do some forms before we leave, but I don't the answers to about half of the questions. You've been a Titan longer then I have, can you help?"

"Yeah, sure!" Kid Flash replies. He smiles at me and adds, "I got this one. It takes most people hours, but it'll only take me a couple minutes." He kisses me lightly on the cheek, then runs off and starts speeding through the stack of papers.

I think I'm sort of swooning. No, I definently am. I can barely walk in a straight line. I manage to sit down on the coach without falling down, but it's not easy. Argent spots me and walks to the couch, Starfire floating behind her.

"Hello, Jinx," Argent says, grinning mischievously.

I glare at her. "What are you smiling about?" I groan.

"Oh, nothing, just how cute you and Kid Flash are together," she responds. Starfire nod in agreement.

"You two are _impossible_," I snap. Argent just rolls her eyes. I sigh and try desperately to change the subject. "Is something wrong, Star? You look upset."

Starfire nods sadly. "I am worried about Robin. He is…" She pauses, searching for the right word. "Uncomfortable, because Batman is so nearby."

"Oh, yeah. I'm sorry to hear that," I reply quietly. I don't really know what to say other than that.

"It is alright," Starfire says. "He is trying." I don't want to admit it, but I guess she's right about that.

Speedy enters the room. I hope he doesn't know that I knocked him out. I _really _hope he doesn't know I knocked him out. As he walks past the couch, I can see him glare at me.

Oh, he so knows.

Kid Flash looks up from the paper he's filling out. His eyes follow Speedy across the room. Then, he glances at me, concerned. I'm trying to smile, but I don't think I'm doing a very good job.

Robin enters the room. Starfire stands up quickly and flies over to him. He smiles at her and she smiles back. She says something to him and he whispers back a response. I'm trying so hard not to hate him right now.

Robin turns to address the whole room. "Alright, Titans. The Justice League has asked us to continue with the search and rescue missions today. The police have estimated that there are still several thousand people who haven't been found since the earthquake, so we have a lot of work ahead of us. Aqualad, Beast Boy, since you two can breathe underwater, Aquaman has requested your help with the underwater missions. Kid Flash, Mas, Menos, as usual your speed is needed for transporting the victims," he grimaces and adds, "Kid Flash, _please_ take your nephew and his friends with you so they don't try to get Martian Manhunter's autograph… Again. As for everyone else, if you can fly, go with Bumblebee. Superman requested that all fliers check in with him for further orders. If you can't fly, you're with… Jinx and I. We'll be working to recover anything lost that's still on land," he finishes. "Titans, go."

Did… Did he just acknowledge me as a leader of Titans North? Why am I surprised? I _am_ a leader of Titans North. He _should_ acknowledge that. This _shouldn't_ be completely shocking. But it _is_.

I stand up and walk to Kid Flash, who's finishing the last few papers. "I guess I'll see you later, then?" I ask him. "I'll try sneak off to the hospital whenever I can, okay?"

"Sounds cool," he says. I bring my arms around him and he softly brings his lips to mine, a gentle good-bye kiss.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Robin and Starfire kissing too. And it's weird. It's so weird.

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After a few hours, Robin gives everyone a break, and I manage to slip off to the hospital. As soon as I open the doors, I can see a blur of red and yellow rushing from one end of the hospital to the other and back again. About three seconds later, Kid Flash is hugging me.

"Hey, you made it!" he says excitedly.

"Hi," I reply, hugging him back. "How's everything going over here?"

"Pretty good," he answers, catching his breath. "I've been running all over the place, I'm getting kinda winded. Want to grab a bite to eat after our detective work is done?"

"Yeah. Sounds good. Let's get this over with, huh?"

He laughs and nods, and then wraps his arm around my waist as he runs off to find Lorena Marquez's hospital room. I can feel my face heat up. Usually, he just grabs my hand, but now he has an arm around my waist. Here comes the lovesick again.

We stop when Kid Flash finds the right hospital room. "Ready?" he asks.

"I guess," I reply. Carefully, I open the door to the room.

Lorena is wearing the same outfit she was a few days ago, and her hair is wet, like she just washed it. She must have finished _The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants_, because now she's reading the fifth _Harry Potter_. Dark book for a fourth grader. As the door creaks open, she peers out over the top of the book, and her mouth drops open. "Oh, my gosh!" she shouts, "You're Jinx and Kid Flash!"

"You already met us," I say slowly. She rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, but I didn't get to _talk_ to you! Besides, you came back to see me! That means we're _friends_!" she exclaims.

"Okay, sure," I mumble. Kid Flash chuckles.

"Of course we're friends!" he tells her, pulling two chairs up next to her bed and sitting down. "But, we actually have a few questions for you. Is that okay?"

"Yeah," she says, closing her book and putting it on the small table by her bed. "What do you need to ask?"

"It's about the earthquake," I explain, sitting down in the other chair. Lorena nods quickly, and I continue, "Where were you when it hit?"

"At the zoo," she answers. "My class and I were on a field trip. Our teacher, Miss Christopher, wanted us to see the birds 'cause we're studying birds. We were just about to look at the penguins when the earthquake happened."

"Did you notice anything weird that day?" Kid Flash asks. "Anything that might have caused the earthquake?"

She purses her lip as she thinks. "I don't _think_ so," she replies. "Wait, actually, I live right by the beach, and I don't think I saw _any_ fish that morning. I usually see a lot. Oh, and I heard something really weird _after_ the earthquake."

"What?" I ask.

"Well," she begins, "I keep hearing the nurses talk about the other earthquake victims. They're talking, like, _twenty_ showers a day, and if they don't, they, like, can't _breathe_."

"Have you been taking twenty showers?" I ask.

"No, but, uh… I have been taking six."

"Any trouble breathing if you don't?" Kid Flash questions. Lorena just nods. Kid Flash considers this, then quietly asks, "Jinx, what does the ion amplifier do, exactly?

"I'm not sure," I whisper, "Brother Blood didn't tell the students much. But I know it could alter DNA, at least to some extent. Brother Blood used it to try to trick Cyborg into quitting the Titans by convincing him he would make him human again."

"Do you think it could effect how people breathe?"

"Yeah, I think it could," I say. "And it could probably scare a bunch of fish away from the shore, too." He nods.

"Hey," Lorena says suddenly, grinning, "is it true what I read in _Super Teen_? Are you guys in love?"

"Umm… Yes." I reply, blushing. Kid Flash just starts cracking up.

"That is so cool!" Lorena squeals. "You two are _really_ cute together."

"Thanks," Kid Flash chuckles, bringing his arm around my shoulder.

"Uh, back to business," I say, still blushing. "Do you have a pen and paper?"

"Here," Lorena reaches into the drawer on the bedside table and pulls out a piece of lined paper and a bright turquoise mechanical pencil. I quickly scribble out a sketch of the amplifier.

"Did you see anything that looked like this?" I ask, showing her the drawing.

"You can draw it, and yet you don't even know what it does?" Kid Flash teases.

"I was in charge of designing it," I snap. "I'm awful at anything involving science and… Techno-babble. But I can draw, so Brother Blood asked me to design it, okay?

He smiles. "For the record, I love your drawings. Especially the unicorns." I roll my eyes and swat his shoulder lightly with the pencil, which makes him laugh.

"You know," Lorena says, looking at my sketch, "I think I did see something. After the earthquake, I think I saw something that looked a little like that part right there, underwater," she points to a piece of the amplifier.

"You did?" I ask, shocked.

"I _think_ so. I don't remember what happened right after the earthquake too well."

My communicator goes off. I grab it out of my pocket. "Hello?"

"Jinx," says Kole from the other end, "Robin decided our break is over. He's freaking out, because you and a couple other people aren't here yet, so you better get back fast."

"Okay," I tell her. "I'll come back, thanks for telling me. Over and out."

I shut off my communicator. "I guess that's my cue to leave. Rain check on lunch?" "Sounds good," Kid Flash says. "I'll run you over there so Robin doesn't flip out." He turns to Lorena and adds, "Thanks, Lorena. You've been a big help."

"Visit, okay?" she begs. "It's wicked _boring_ here."

Kid Flash chuckles good-naturedly and we stand to leave. "We'll visit. Promise."

As we reach the day, Lorena adds nervously, "Oh, um, if you hear anything about my class or my family, will you tell me? If anyone's looking for Lorena Esperanza Marquez, or something, um, just… Please tell them where to find me, okay? 'Cause I haven't heard anything from anybody and…"

"Of course we will," I say. "We're your friends, remember?"

She smiles, tears in her eyes. "Thank you so much. You're the coolest superheroes ever!"

"You're welcome, Lorena," Kid Flash says. "See you!"

"Bye!" she chirps, crying just a little as we leave the room.

Kid Flash grins at me. "You're really getting the hang of being a hero, Jinx."

"Shut up," I snap, rolling my eyes. He laughs and I can't help but smile.

"So, do you think it was the amplifier?" I ask.

"I hate to say it, but it kind of sounds like it. Of course," he continues with a grin, "I would help if we actually what it _did_."

"I know," I sigh. "I really wish someone had demanded that Blood tell us what it did, but none of the HIVE students were that brave. Supervillains are all cowards…"

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly before adding, "I guess we could ask Cyborg or Bumblebee, they might understand it better then I do. But I don't want to get them involved."

"Well, if it _is_ the amplifier," he asks, reaching out to hold my hands, "what should we do about it?"

"Do you think Rose is really working for Brother Blood?" I add.

"I don't know. In a way it all kind of adds up." He's right. It does. The white hair, the fact that the earthquake happened just after Titans North had settled in, the guy Bart saw in New York, Lorena's story. In a way, it all kind of adds up.

"I wish it didn't," I whisper.

"Me too." he says. He lets go of one of my hands with one of his, and brings it to my cheek, his fingers entwined lightly in a strand of my hair.

My communicator goes off.

"That's probably Kole again." I say, shutting it off without answering. "We should get going." He nods, loops his arm around my waist and speeds off in a blur of colors. When we slow down, we're back at the site of the earthquake. Kole waves at me cheerfully, and Robin looks annoyed, feverishly tapping button on his communicator to contact whoever isn't back yet. Speedy is shooting me death glares from where he's standing. Joy.

"Well, see you," I say. Kid Flash leans over and kisses me on the lips before dashing away.

Kole rushes over to me. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, he kissed you on the lips right here in public. That is so romantic."

"Oh, come on," I grumble. "First Argent and Star, now _you_? Will you guys please stop squealing at me whenever my boyfriend kisses me?"

Kole shrieks happily. Wow, _she's_ way less calm then usual. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh you just called him your _boyfriend_!" she exclaims. I groan loudly, and slap my forehead with the palm of my hand.

Wait a second. I _did_ just call him my boyfriend.

Oh my God.

I am so head over heels in love with him that it's almost funny. Almost.

"Oh, you two are so cute together!" Kole exclaims.

"Kole, that is the _third freaking time_ I've heard that today," I snap.

"Which means it's _true_," she insists. I roll my eyes.

"Oh, come on, Jinx! You _know_ it's true! You two are so perfect for each other!" she says, shrieking again. I raise an eyebrow at her.

"How many cans of Red Bull did you have this morning?"

"Uh, Starfire and I finished a whole pack…"

"Starfire. Figures."

"So, where were you two, anyway?" Kole asks.

"Doesn't matter." I reply. She giggles.

"You were on a date, right?" she says. It's more of a statement then a question.

"No! I was _not_ on a date!" I shout. She looks at me, worried. "Sorry, I shouldn't have yelled." I tell her. Besides, I can't yell anymore. It's making me feel _sick_. I'm way too freaked out about how Rose might be… And how Brother Blood might be… And how stupid I was for not making the connection and… "I was doing something kind of important. It's a long story, okay, and I don't want to talk about it, okay?"

She nods her head understandingly. "Okay, but… Jinx, listen. Some of the other girls and I were talking, and we're worried about you. So, if you need to, we just want you to know you can talk to us."

"Oh, look. Kole has returned from the Land of Overly-Caffeinated." I say, sarcastically. "That's a relief. This split personality Red Bull thing was starting to scare me."

"Jinx!" Kole exclaims, maybe a bit offended but she's giggling. "I do not have a split personality! Except when I intake a lot of sugar…"

"I think half a pack of Red Bull qualifies."

"Yeah, it probably does…" Kole admits. "Still, Jinx, I mean it. We want you to be able to talk to us. We're your friends!"

Friends.

I've never had friends. Not before Kid Flash. And that day at the Brotherhood's base, when he first said I was his friend… It was _amazing_. I had a friend. A real friend.

And now I have… _Friends_? As in more then one, I guess? It's weird. They keep telling me we're friends. And it's kind of scary. Because just a few weeks ago they all hated me.

"Right. Friends," I say quietly.

"We are!" Kole exclaims. "Jinx, just because you used to be a villain doesn't mean we're not friends! _Everybody_ likes you!"

I wish I could tell her all the things that are wrong about that statement. Instead I just swallow the lump in the back of my throat and say, "Thanks, Kole."

"You're welcome," she says quietly.

"Titans," Robin shouts. "Now that we're all back, we have work to do. We're going to split into two groups. Cyborg, Thunder, Lightning, Wildebeast, Kole, Gnarrk, and Pantha, you're with me. Everyone else, Jinx is your leader for the rest of the day. We're going to…"

I'm only half listening as Robin explains what were supposed to be doing. I'm trying to figure out who I'm supposed to be leading. Let's see… They're are going with him… Wow, there aren't a lot of guys who can fly on this team, almost all of the guys are here… The other two girls who aren't fliers are with Robin… I think that leaves… Jericho, Hotspot, Herald, Red Star, Bushido, Killowat, and…

Oh, no.

Speedy.

Robin's droning on and on. I have no idea what he's saying. It's probably important. I should probably listen. But I'm a bit too busy trying to ignore the _daggers _Speedy is shooting me with his eyes. If looks could kill…

"Alright, my group, let's go. I'll see the rest of you later," Robin says as he and the others start to leave.

I turn towards Hotspot and whisper, "Please tell me you were paying attention to that."

"Aren't _you_ supposed to be our fearless leader?" Hotspot asks bitterly.

"I'm _working_ on it," I reply in an angry whisper. "I'm not _used_ to this, okay?" I address the rest of the group as I add, "Can anyone tell me what Robin said?"

"I can," Speedy offers. "Come over here and I'll explain." There's something in his voice that's… Sly. I feel like something's not right. But he's offering to tell me what I need to know. I… I guess I have to take that.

I walk over to him. "Okay, just explain this to me quickly and we can get going."

"Sure thing, but I want to talk about something first," Speedy answers. There's the sly thing again. Now I'm sure this isn't right.

"Yeah, whatever, talk," I say slowly. Speedy kind of chuckles. I think he can tell I don't trust him very much right now. I think he likes that.

"I heard you and Kid Flash talking last night," he begins. I shoot him a glare and try to be threatening.

"Yeah. Kid Flash is my _boyfriend_. We do tend to talk to each other," I reply, trying to make it as sarcastic and mean as I possibly can. I think I do a pretty good job, despite the fact that there is no air in my lungs right now.

"Of course you do, that doesn't matter. What matters is what you two were talking about."

"Are you going to tell me why that is, or do we have to play Twenty Questions?"

"Funny," Speedy says dryly. "So you think Brother Blood is behind the earthquake, right?"

"It's a theory," I tell him.

"And you think Rose is working for him?" Speedy asks.

"That's a theory too."

"Sort of like you did?"

I can feel my eyes widen. "Is this some kind of attack?" I snap furiously

"Only if you want it to be," he replies coolly.

"What does_ that _mean?" I ask sharply.

"It means that no one _trusts_ you, Jinx. Robin least of all."

"How is that even relevant?" I demand, trying not to scream. I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he's getting to me.

He grins. I can't see his eyes through his mask and it makes him look kind of evil. "You used to work for Blood, and you're the one who brought Rose to the team. If the facts make it look like Blood's behind it… Well, it's only a short leap to _you_."

"What?"

"Like I said," Speedy continues, "Robin doesn't trust you. If I wanted to, I could make him think you're behind the whole thing."

No.

No way.

I don't believe this.

"You're can't possibly be serious," I say. He just smiles again.

"You wouldn't dare," I threaten. Would he?

"I wouldn't?" His voice is full of venom.

"What do you want?" I ask.

His smile twists into a smirk. "What do you mean?"

"You're _blackmailing_ me! Blackmail means you want something!"

Speedy chuckles.

"Is it money?" I ask furiously. "Stolen goods? Do you want me to rob something for you? Is that it? Are you trying to use me to do something illegal?"

"No," Speedy replies. "None of those."

"Well then what is it?" I demand.

"I want you to quit the Teen Titans."

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"He's blackmailing me." I whisper.

"Blackmail?" Kid Flash exclaims. "Why is he doing that?"

"I have no idea," I say, shaking my head and collapsing onto the bed in the empty room.

Kid Flash sits down next to me and wraps an arm around my shoulder. "What does he want?" he asks.

I close my eyes so I don't have to look at him while I answer. "He wants me to quit the team."

"What?" Kid Flash just about screams.

"Quiet," I tell him, keeping my eyes shut. "Someone will hear."

"Sorry," he says softly. "I just can't believe this."

"Neither can I."

"I'm going to give him a piece of my mind…" Kid Flash says. I think he's standing up but I'm still too scared to look.

"No, don't."

"Why not? I'm not gonna just stand by and watch this!" He's staring to raise his voice again.

"Kid Flash, I'm not letting you do this," I say quietly, "I don't want him to try to make Robin think you're involved in this too. I don't want him to get you kicked off the team."

"I'd rather get kicked off the team then have him do this to you!" He really is yelling now. He almost sounds angry.

"That's crazy!" I exclaim. I can't look at him. I'm just staring at the darkness inside my eyelids. "You can't get thrown out the Titans for my sake! I can't… I can't possibly _matter_ that much!"

"Jinx, you matter to me more then _anything_! I'm willing to risk this for you!"

"Kid Flash…"

"I don't care if I get thrown off the team and I don't care if none of the other Titans ever speak to me again!"

"Kid Flash, please…"

"I'm not going to let anyone get away with trying to hurt you, even if it means I have to…"

I open my eyes and look right into his.

"Wally!"

He looks at me for what seems like an eternity. Finally, he sits down next to me and holds my hands before he says, as quietly as possible, "That's the first time you've ever called me that."

"Yeah," I whisper, "I guess it is."

Slowly, his face breaks into a smile.

"Okay," he says. "I won't do anything stupid."

"We'll work this out together." I say quietly.

There's a long pause, a long moment where it's just the two of us staring into each other's eyes and nothing else matters.

"I love you," he says.

"I love you too," I reply, before I lean forward and kiss him.

_I got a lot to say to you_

_Yeah, I got a lot to say_

_I noticed your eyes are always glued to m__e_

_Keeping them here_

_A__nd it makes no sense at all_

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Notes

Well, I guess that was not _too_ long a wait, was it? This chapter incorporates a lot of things but I sort of like that about it. There's a lot in it, but they were all things the story really needed to get anywhere, so I am glad I was able to accomplish so much in one chapter. I almost did not use that last scene in this chapter, but I decided the ending was a bit too much of a cliffhanger and a bit too heavy and hard to swallow without it. Sometimes cliffhangers, and heavy and hard to swallow cane be good, but in this case, the last scene was really important. I love that scene. It is this tiny little moment between Jinx and Kid Flash, and yet it is sort of a monumentally huge moment in their relationship. Which, in my opinion, makes it really, really cool. Now, about Speedy… Speedy had reasons. To be honest I'm not entirely sure what they are yet, but they are definitely there, lurking right under my nose. He wants Jinx off the team, and he put her in a position where that is very likely. Now, about Kole. I mostly just needed a conversation to show the passing of time and, well… Kole on Red Bull. Yeah. It is totally irrelevant to the chapter but I love it so much. Lastly, the empty room. I think it's sort of obvious what room it is. But, just in case, for the time being, all I can say is that room has a lot of significance to the story.

The chapter title and the lyrics at the end are from _Crushcrushcrush_ by Paramore. Special thanks to my brother for editing!

Review Responses:

Archerelf: Well, nobody ever said tabloid reporters were creative?

lemony anemone: Thank you so much! The teen article was just about the weirdest thing I have ever written.

Freakycuteducky: Thank you so much! I love plot twists, by the way.

Hipprincess: Thank you so much! I love Argent the fashionista, too. Argent is so much fun to write!

Melodine: The part about Robin and Batman was hard. The cartoon never gave any definitive answers about Robin's back-story so I had to sort of make things up based on the comics. I'm glad it turned out interesting! I loved writing her reaction to Flinx, that was fun.

Samantha Berii: Samantha, I did not make up the word Flinx! Lots of people use it! Argent should totally go ahead with that Flinx merchandise line, it's brilliant! Imagine the cash! The fame! How much she would humiliate Jinx! I love it.


	11. I'm Only Me When I'm With You

**I'm Only Me When I'm With You**

I tap the end of my pencil against the spine of the sketchbook I bought. I left my old one at the HIVE base, and drawing on sheets of paper just wasn't the same. So, when I saw it, a little pink hardcover notebook full of blank pages just waiting to be drawn on, at a store in Jump City a few days ago, I couldn't resist. I've drawn a fair number of pictures in it since I bought it. And every single one of them… Is of Kid Flash.

"Okay, I give up." I say. "I have absolutely no idea why he's doing this." It doesn't really help that Kid Flash and I are sitting at a table in the movie theater, waiting for the movie before the one we're seeing to end. It's so freaking loud in here that I can barely _think_.

The heading I've put on the page is "Possible Motives", with one thick underline beneath the words. Other then that the page is completely blank. I doodle a few swirls and squiggles just so the paper doesn't seem so freaking empty.

"Well, we sort of know why," Kid Flash argues. "If you quit, you're off the team. If you don't, he'll try to get Robin to fire you. So, he obviously wants you off the team."

"Yeah, but _why_ does he want me off the team? What the heck did I ever do to him?"

"Easy. You're way more gorgeous then he'll ever hope to be. Speedy just can't handle someone being better looking then him," Kid Flash says, somehow managing to keep a straight face.

"Not helping!" I exclaim, throwing a piece of popcorn at his head. He laughs, catches the popcorn, and eats it. If I wasn't so frustrated that would have been a really good catch.

"I don't understand this," I groan. "How is getting me off the team going to help _him_?"

Kid Flash eats a handful of popcorn before replying, "Maybe it's some kind of deal. If he gets you off the team, someone else does something for him. Or maybe _he's_ being blackmailed_?_"

I write "Deal" and "Blackmail" on the list. If he's blackmailing me though, that makes it… Blackmail squared… I put a little two in the upper right corner of the word blackmail before asking, "Who would make that kind of deal with him, though? Or blackmail him? That's kind of... Evil. Well, maybe not _evil_, but not exactly… Superheroic?"

He reaches for another handful of popcorn. "Maybe it's a villain?"

I add "Villain" to the list. "Yeah, that would make sense. I guess it could be the Hive Five," I suggest, writing "Hive" as well.

"What would they want from him, though? Do they even know him?" Kid Flash asks. His foot touches against mine beneath the table and I try not to blush. "No, not really. Good point," I agree. "Maybe someone else? Does anyone have a grudge against him?"

"Hmm… Blood doesn't like him after the Titans East thing. That game tournament guy doesn't like him either."

I add "Brother Blood" and "Master of Games" and say, "Well, if it's a deal, it could be someone who _does_ like him. Does he have any criminal history?"

"Not that I know of, but Speedy can be… Unorthodox. It wouldn't surprise me if he's done some illegal things to stop a villain."

"Well, maybe's that what this is," I say, adding "trying to stop something" to the list. "Some sort of twisted ends-justify-the-means thing. The problem is, what's the ends?"

Kid Flash grabs another handful of popcorn. "Butter," he jokes. "'Cause this popcorn seriously needs some."

"Well, there won't be any popcorn to put butter on if you keep eating it! You're gonna finish before we even sit down!" I say as he continues to the popcorn.

"Eh, so we'll buy a new one," he replies grinning. I roll my eyes and half smile.

Someone knocks into my chair and I nearly fall over. I grab the edge of the table so I don't lose my balance as I'm jerked forward. The sudden movement accidently sets my powers off, and my sketchbook flies onto the floor.

"You okay, Jinx?" Kid Flash asks. There's a blur of color as he rushes to fix my chair and grab my sketchbook and place it on the table. As he sits back down, the book's pages blow in the gust of wind created by his running.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say. He doesn't respond. He's staring at something. I'm not sure what. He looks confused and… I glance down at the table.

Oh.

The sketchbook is open to one of my drawings.

One of my drawings of Kid Flash.

_Crap_.

"So, anyway, I guess that Speedy could be trying to…" I say, frantically trying to distract him or change the subject or _something_. I reach out for my sketchbook, but Kid Flash is faster. By the time I can raise my hand, he's already flipping through the pages at the speed of light, looking at all of my drawings. Drawings of him.

Seconds later he puts the book down.

I take a deep breath and say, "I never meant for anyone to see those. Especially you. I'm sorry."

He smiles. "Don't be. I love them."

"You _do_?" I ask, shocked.

"Yeah. They're beautiful," he answers. He flips through them again, slower this time, looking carefully at each picture. "Can I keep this one?" he asks, holding the book up to show it to me.

The picture he's showing to me is of both of us. I drew it at dinner a few nights ago, when almost everyone was out of uniform. He's wearing jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, which was really yellow, but the picture is black and white. I'm wearing a denim skirt with black leggings, a t-shirt that was really purple, and a white knit sweater. We're sitting on the couch, with my head on his shoulder and our fingers intertwined. It's the only picture where I drew myself.

"Uh, yeah, sure. Just let me sign it." I scribble a quick, cursive J-i-n-x and the date that I drew it on the corner of the page. "I can't believe you like this one. I think I ruined it by drawing myself." I say, tearing out the page and handing it to him.

"That's why I like it," he tells me, smiling. He takes the picture from my hand, the tips of his fingers brushing up against mine. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," I whisper.

"You know," Kid Flask begins, closing my sketchbook and handing it back to me, "I think the whole idea of this date was to give you some time off. So let's just forget about Speedy and enjoy the movie, okay?"

"Okay," I reply. "I probably need that."

* * *

"Maybe it made more sense to you because you actually speak French," I grumble after the movie ends. I can't believe I let him talk me into seeing a movie in French.

He grins. "Yeah, maybe. Foreign films just aren't the same with _subtitles_."

"Well, most of need those subtitles," I say, rolling my eyes. "Most of us don't speak… What, five languages?"

He blushes but keeps grinning, like he's a little embarrassed but he still thinks it's funny. "Eleven."

"_Eleven_? You have got to be kidding me."

Kid Flash shakes his head. "English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Latin."

"Latin's dead! Latin doesn't count!" I scoff.

"How about Pig Latin, then?" he jokes. "can that be number eleven?"

"Ha ha," I say sarcastically. "And no. It can't."

"Darn it," he says, wrapping his arm around me as we exit the movie theatre. "I guess I'll have to stop writing you that Pig Latin love letter then."

"Yeah, you might to do that," I add, smirking. My smile fades almost as soon as we step out of the theatre. I didn't realize how late it was. It's a clear night, with countless bright stars and a shining moon lighting up the city. And right there, among the skyscrapers, is a giant T-shaped building. Looking at is making me feel sick.

"I can't go back yet," I tell Kid Flash. "Anyway we can extend this date?"

"We could go to the amusement park over by the docks. "There's a lot of oversized stuffed animals I could win for you" he suggest, more then a bit flirtatiously.

"Sounds good, but no stuffed animal needed," I say, laughing just a little.

There's a blur of color and seconds later we're at the amusement park. The last time I was here was with the HIVE. Gizmo, Mammoth, Billy, Kyd Wykkyd and See-More stole most of the candy from the concession stands. I remember thinking they were idiots for wasting their time stealing candy when they could have been stealing something more important. I also remember wishing I could just go on some of the rides, feel the wind through my hair on the roller coaster, see the view from the Ferris wheel, get so dizzy I can't walk on the teacup rides. I wanted to just forget about the world for a minute. But I couldn't. I was a villain.

"So, where to first?" Kid Flash asks.

"Roller coaster, definitely," I reply, without even having to think about it. "I've never been on it and I've always wanted to. Did you know it has _six_ loops?"

"Roller coaster it is," he laughs. He grabs my hand and the next thing I know we're I the line for the roller coaster.

"We could have just walked," I say, rolling my eyes.

"Eh, why let the line get any longer?" he laughs. "I can't believe you've never been on the roller coaster here. You used to _live_ in Jump City."

"Yeah, but I was a villain when I lived here. I couldn't go anywhere without someone calling the police," I reply.

Or the Teen Titans.

"Well, now you finally can," he says, smiling. "Which means we're free to go on a date wherever we want. And without the inconvenience of public transportation too." I laugh and roll my eyes.

We reach the front of the line and get on the roller coaster. After a minute or so it starts up, beginning slowly but picking up speed as it goes on, up and down, up swirling us upside down six times, before it finally comes to a stop and we exit. "Okay, that was awesome. My head is still reeling from that last loop," I say . "Your turn to pick a ride."

"In that case, I think we should go to the…"

He doesn't finish because someone shouts. "Jinx! Kid Flash!"

For a second I think it's a reporter or a photographer or a fan. Then I see a curtain of red hair as I am engulfed in a bone-crushing hug.

"Starfire?" I manage to choke out. "I can't breathe…"

"My sincerest apologies! Are you injured? Do you require the immediate medical attention?" Starfire exclaims frantically, letting go and allowing me to breath again. I notice that Robin is standing next to her.

"Don't worry, I'm okay," I assure her.

"So, what brings you here, Star?" Kid Flash asks.

"Robin and I have come on a date!" she answers happily. "Oh! Is that why the two of you are here as well? Perhaps we could have a… Bubble date, yes?"

"She means double date," Robin explains.

"Yes, a _double_ date," Starfire corrects. "Oh, we must go on a double date! It shall be most enjoyable!"

She's so excited. I might as well agree, she'd be crushed if I turned her down. "It's fine with me," I say. "As long as its fine with you guys." "Yeah, sounds great!" Kid Flash says, happily. He's faking it. I can tell.

"Okay," Robin says. He's staring at Kid Flash but his mask is making him impossible to read. He could be fuming mad right now for I all I know.

Or he could be… Actually okay with this.

No, of course he's not. Who am I kidding?

"Glorious!" Starfire squeals. "This double date such be most joyful! We shall begin with a ride on the wheel of Ferris!" She drags Kid Flash, Robin, and I to the line for the Ferris wheel.

As we stand in line, I whisper "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

Kid Flash shakes his head slowly. "No, but I'll deal." He laughs a little while he says that. I think he doesn't want people to know he's upset. I'd say something, but I don't want Starfire to hear. Instead, I just take Kid Flash's hand in mine. Maybe that will say something for me.

When we reach the front of the line, Robin and Starfire sit down in one car, and Kid Flash and I sit in another. As he sits down, Kid Flash notices something and asks, "Wow, that's a really big scar. What happened?"

I suddenly remember that I'm wearing a skirt, and that it doesn't cover the long, thin scar across my calf. "Oh, that? It's no big deal. When I was ten, I was doing this training session at the HIVE. Mammoth pushed me into a window and I got a huge shard of glass stuck in my leg," I explain dismissively as I sit down. "Though come to think of it, I got six stitches and he got six points extra credit. I wouldn't talk to him for a week." I snicker a little at the memory. I think it's kind of funny.

Kid Flash, on the other hand, looks horrified. "You were _ten_? They let stuff like that happen to _kids_?"

"What, weren't you ever injured in a training session or a fight with a villain or something when you were a kid?" I respond lightly.

"Well, yeah, of course I was," he begins. "But Barry always went out of his way to make sure the training sessions were as safe as possible. And after we fought a villain his first priority was always making sure I wasn't seriously injured. What happened to you at the HIVE was on purpose, and they rewarded him for hurting you. That's disgusting."

"I…" I begin slowly, "I never thought of it that way."

He leans down and gently runs a finger across the scar on my leg. "I am so glad that place is gone," he says.

The ride starts up. As the city comes into sight, I can see some of the places where the HIVE and I committed crimes. Kid Flash is right. The HIVE Academy is gone. It's never really occurred to me before. The HIVE Academy is really gone.

Huh.

We reach the top of the Ferris wheel. The view is incredible. I can see the entire city. I rest my head on Kid Flash's shoulder. I can finally ride the Ferris wheel without someone calling the police. It's kind of cool.

As the wheel starts to come down, I take a deep breath and slowly, carefully, say, "Wally?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for taking me out tonight. I needed it."

"You're welcome," he replies.

The ride slowly comes to a stop and we exit, Robin and Starfire stepping out of their car a moment of so later. Almost immediately, Starfire squeals, "Now, we must choose the next activity for our date of doubles!" I really don't want to burst her happy bubble, but when we get back to the Tower I am _hiding_ the Red Bull because she and Kole are far too hyper and are destroying the sanity of basically everyone. Or at least me. Whatever.

"I think we should head over to the games. I'm determined to win Jinx a stuffed animal," Kid Flash says, smiling coyly.

"Oh, come on, what am I going to do with a stuffed animal?" I scoff. "Besides, those things are impossible to win."

"No their not," Kid Flash replies, "I once won my little cousin a panda that was bigger then her head."

"And what would I ever need a panda bigger then my head for?"

"Please? I want to win you something," he says, laughing, "You're spoiling my fun."

"Yes, we must have the fun!" Starfire exclaims. "We shall play the games!"

I roll my eyes. "Alright, whatever."

As we start to walk towards the games, Starfire quietly asks me, "You and Kid Flash seem most happy together. For how long have you loved him?" She says it so light and casual, not hesitating for even a second. Like it's no big deal. Like it isn't the craziest, scariest, hardest, best thing that's ever happened to me.

"Since… Since the moment I met him," I reply slowly, hesitantly. Like the words could fall apart in my mouth if I'm not careful.

"Oh, how glorious!" She exclaims. "It is truly a… Love at first sight, correct" I laugh nervously and change the subject as fast as I can. "So, what about you? You know, and Robin?"

She smiles happily. "Well, not the _moment_ I met him. It was later that day." It's really amazing how easy this is for her.

"That's… Cool," I say finally.

She smiles at me again. "Jinx, it is most wonderful to have you as a Teen Titan! I do believe that you seem much happier then I have ever seen you before! And it is even more wonderful to have you as a friend!"

I force a weak smile. What am I supposed to say to _that_? "Thanks, Star. I, uh, well, I…"

I hear a crash, and the sound of wood snapping.

Maybe we're being ambushed. Maybe a villain is attacking.

Starfire's hands fly to her mouth, and her eyes go wide.

Maybe it's the HIVE.

I turn my head in the direction of the noise.

Robin has pinned Kid Flash against a tree. A few branches lie on the ground, snapped in the impact. Kid Flash and Robin are throwing rapid punches at each other and shouting things I can't make out.

Starfire and I start to run over to where they are. I'm faster but Starfire's stronger. I reach the tree first but it's Starfire who manages to pry them apart and stop the attacks.

And I just stand there, while Starfire, her hand lightly resting on Robin's shoulder, gently asks, "What happened?"

Kid Flash answers her, but he's talking to me. "He said… That you're a threat… To this team." His heavy, uneven breaths turn one phrase into three distinct sentences.

"I didn't say that!" Robin shouts "I said she _could_ be!"

"It's what you meant, though!" Kid Flash snap back. "You know it is!"

"You know what, Wally? You're right," Robin replies angrily. "And I only meant it because it's true!"

"What is your problem with her?" Kid Flash asks, his voice is filled with rage, but he isn't shouting quite so much anymore.

"What's _your_ problem?" I interrupt furiously. "What is it with the two of you and beating each other up in public?"

"Yes, you are friends! Friends do not behave this way!" Starfire adds, close to tears.

"Well, friends also don't treat each other's girlfriends like they're evil. So some friend _he_ is." Kid Flash says under his breath.

And Robin punches him.

And Kid Flash swings him into the tree.

And security shows up.

* * *

"I can't believe you two!" Raven yells, her eyes glowing almost red as she doesn't even bother trying to hide her emotions. A couple of light bulbs flicker and one of them glows black and comes crashing to the ground. I'm not sure if she did that or if I did.

"Do you know how stupid it is," Raven continues, "for the two of you to be fighting in public?" She pauses yelling for a moment, and tells Kid Flash, "Your wrist is definitely broken."

"I heal fast," he tells her. He shakes his arm out and says, "It's better."

Raven examines it, and finding no reason to argue, goes back to yelling. "Not only could one of you have been seriously injured, which Kid Flash would have been if it weren't for his powers…" She pauses again, examining Robin's arm. "This is a really bad break. I'm not sure I can fix it. I might have to call a doctor."

Robin raises his eyebrows but doesn't say anything. Raven just keeps going. "Not only were you both seriously injured, but you're putting this entire team at risk. The press will find out and this will appear on the news, in magazines. Villains will find out and use it as a excuse to make us an easy target… I can't believe you two could be so immature!" She sighs heavily. "I'm going to call the hospital.," she says calmly. As she goes to get the phone, another light bulb glows slightly pink and explodes in its socket. This time I'm sure it was me.

No one says anything but it isn't silent. I can hear a door slam in the hallway, Raven's footsteps as she walks, birds chirping and the waves splashing outside. There's noise but no one says anything.

Kid Flash reaches for my hand but I pull it away. Starfire wrings her hands together nervously. Robin just stares off into the distance.

Finally, I say, "Isn't one of you going to say something?"

Kid Flash looks at me for a moment, then he looks at Robin, then back at me. "No. I'm not."

"Oh, my God, I can't believe you. This is so…"

"He said…" "I know what he said!" I snap. "And I know you're just trying to protect me but…"

"Jinx, you're blaming yourself for things that aren't your fault! And I can't stand seeing other people blame you for them too. You're…"

"I'm not anything! I'm not blaming myself for things that aren't my fault. They _are_, okay? I've knew that even _before_ we saw the HIVE! And Robin's right. I _am_ a threat. Maybe that's the reason I'm being…"

"That's not the reason! It can't be the reason because it _isn't_ true. It's…"

"You two saw the HIVE?" Robin asks.

Oh, no.

I let it slip, didn't I?

I cannot believe I just did that.

Oh, my God.

I take a deep breath and say, "Yeah. We did. At Le Papillion in Chicago. Before the earthquake."

"I thought they were frozen." He states.

"So did we," Kid Flash replies. "They said it wasn't that hard to get out."

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Robin exclaims.

"Why do you think we didn't?" I snap. "You don't _trust_ me."

"So? Did you realize that this means other villains could have escaped? They could _all_ have escaped."

I don't bother telling him that there's no way they all escaped. That at least one of them would rather stay trapped.

Stay dead.

"We're going to have to go to Paris," Robin declares. "We'll leave first thing in the morning. I'll tell the rest of the team."

Robin leaves.

Silence.

Kid Flash stands up and leaves the room, the door closing with a bang behind him.

* * *

He's sitting, alone, in the empty bedroom. He looks up at me as I enter.

"Are you mad?" he asks.

I sit down on the couch next to him. "Yeah." I say, "I am."

He has tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

I take his hand in mine. "It's okay. I forgive you. I love you."

"I love you too." He blinks back tears as he smiles at me. I place a hand on his shoulder.

"You can cry," I say. "I won't tell anyone. Promise."

He laughs and hugs me

And he bursts into tears.

I wrap my arms around him. I can feel his tears in my hair and on the back of my shirt. I reach out and stroke his hair the way he always strokes mine.

"Wally?" I say, gently.

"Yeah?" he asks, through his tears.

"No more pretending. If you're upset… Look, I don't care you else you put up this happy thing for, but stop doing it for me. Please."

He nods. And as he cries, he tells me, "I promise. But you have to promise the same thing. You always put up that angry, tough thing for everyone, but I don't want you to do it for me."

I nod. "Got it. No more pretending."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

And I burst into tears.

Wally holds me even tighter and I cry into his chest and he cries into my hair.

_Just a small town boy and girl_

_Livin' in a crazy ' to figure out what is and isn't true_

_And I don't try to hide my tears _

_My secrets or my deepest fears_

_Through it all nobody gets me like you do._

* * *

Boom.

That is the sound of a watermelon exploding. The Exploding Watermelon was actually the previous chapter, and I had been planning forever to start my notes with "Boom". But I forgot. So I did it here, just to make sure you all know what an exploding watermelon sounds like. The next twist that's coming up is The Imploding Creamsicle. I'll make sure to tell you all what that sounds like too.

Anyway, as usual, sorry for the wait! I have a legit reason for once, though. My computer crashed and it took me a while to retrieve the files, so I wasn't able to write for a couple weeks. Now, about this chapter. It's filler, honestly. I had to get the Titans to Paris and this was the best way to do it. I think it's a good chapter, though! There are some really sweet moments. I love the date scene at the beginning. It's just so cute! I have no idea what movie they saw, by the way. Anyone want to pick? And the scene at the end is something I like to call "Coda Part Two" ("Coda Part One" was the last scene of the previous chapter.). The codas are some of my favorite moments. In the last chapter, the coda was the first time Jinx called Wally by his real name. This coda was the first time that she _thought_ it. When she calls him Wally at the carnival it's very deliberate, and she thinks about before she does. This time, though, it's starting to slip out. I also love this coda because it's the first time Jinx sees KF cry, and because Jinx uses the exact same line KF used in chapter 2. I think it says a lot about them, as individuals and as a couple. They both hide their emotions, they just do it differently. Kid Flash puts on a happy face and Jinx goes all tough-girl and sarcastic, but their both just trying to keep people from knowing their upset. So when, at the end of this chapter, they tell each other to stop pretending, it says a lot about them as a couple.

The title and lyrics come form _I'm Only Me When I'm With You_ by Taylor Swift. I picked that song so much quicker then a lot of the other chapters because it was just so perfect. Special thanks to my brother for editing!

Review responses:

Melodine: Thanks! I love the Red Bull part too!

Archerelf: That's probably true. People on Red Bull are kind of scary in the best possible way. XD

Lemony anemone: Speedy's not _evil_, exactly. You'll see…

ALLpraisebe2him: Thanks so much! I update… Not often enough. I try to update as quickly as I can, but I don't have a lot of time to write and I'm very slow. As for Rosie and Jericho, I can't answer that because it's a massive spoiler for anyone who hasn't read the comics, but the answer is in the comics. I'm so glad you love it! If I updated fast enough, could I have a chocolate chip cookie please? :)

Hotspur: Thanks so much! I'm glad to know it seems natural, I worry about that sometimes!

Madam Moony: Thanks so much!

Titangirl797: I'm so going to use that! Unless my friend Samantha Berrii uses it first, because it was her idea… But if she does, I'll bribe her into letting me use it too. I'm glad you loved the chapter! As for Speedy, you'll see…

Featherpen13: Thanks so much! I love Flinx/KFJinx too! Gosh, I can't believe I made you hate Speedy! Don't hate him! He has reasons! XD

Inemara-52: Thanks!

WolfKeeper989: Thanks!

Freakycuteducky: I had no idea everyone was going to think Speedy is so evil! XD


	12. Slow Me Down

**Slow Me Down **

"Hey, sis, it's me," Kid Flash says, his communicator pressed to his ear like a phone as he uses it to call his oldest sister. "Bart get home okay? Yeah… Well… I know, but…Melanie, come on, it was his school vacation! Because he begged me and I thought it would be nice… Yes, I was a very positive role model! Mel, I _was_! I could have taken him out of the country with us, but I drew the line… Actually, I did think it was responsible of me to… I was mature! Yes, I know. Melanie, calm down. It could have been worse! Well, he could have run off to visit Taylor. She would have… Actually, I don't really want to know what Taylor would … Mel, listen, you're his mom. You're the one who has to have rules. But Lizzie and Taylor and I are his aunts and uncle. We get to let him do things that you won't allow, it's our job. Mel, I'm kidding. I promise, everything was fine. Really. Yeah… His friends get home? Seriously? 'Cause they all said that… She didn't? Wow... Yeah, I'll tell him, put him on. Hey, Bart, what's up? Cool… Yeah… So, your mom wants me to tell you that your friend Cissie is a bad influence because she didn't tell her mother she was coming to Jump City with us. If your mom asks, tell her that I said to stop hanging out with her. But if she doesn't ask? Bart, that girl is such a keeper… Yup… Okay, cool… Yeah, put your mom back on… Hey, sis. Yeah, I told him. Alright. I will… Say hi to Liz and Tay for me. Bye, Mel… I love ya too, sis… Good-bye, Melanie… Melanie, seriously, I have to go, okay? Bye."

Kid Flash looks at me, smiling, laughing and a little embarrassed. "And my sister wins the crazy worrywart award," he chuckles. He rolls his eyes, still laughing, and adds, "She means well."

"I'm sure she does," I say quietly, fidgeting with my spoon. I'm sitting at some cafe on some street in Paris, and untouched cup of hot chocolate in front me. The Teen Titans are scattered about the street, talking in little clumped up groups, going in and out of stores and cafes. I have no clue what time it is here, except that its dark, or what time it is back in California or how long we've been here.

Sooner or later, we all know we have to go to the Brotherhood base.

But no one's ready to do it yet.

Kid Flash sits down across from me. He reaches over the table and takes my hand. "You okay?"

"Do you even have to ask that?" I snap. "You know the answer."

He looks at me for a long moment, just staring into my eyes. Finally, he says, "Are you gonna drink that?"

I just about throw something at him. "Okay, that was cold!"

"Got you to smile, though."

He's right. I didn't even notice, but I'm smiling. I take a small, half-hearted sip of the drink. I'm usually crazy about hot chocolate, but right now it hardly tastes like anything. "It's just… It's not easy. Being here again."

He nods. "I understand. It's not easy for any of us. But you've got it the worst. To everyone else, the people who were frozen, they're just… Villains. But you know them. That can't be easy."

I let out a slow, heavy breath. "No. It's not."

He squeezes my hand lightly. I try to smile at him before taking another sip of my hot chocolate. "This is really awesome hot chocolate," I comment flatly. Kid Flash laughs.

"I know! Best hot chocolate in the world is at this café," he adds.

"Oh please, I doubt you've tried them all," I say, rolling my eyes.

"I've come pretty close," he replies.

"You know," I say, "I'd never actually been outside California before that first battle here in Paris." I can't bring myself to say that it was the first battle with the Brotherhood. I just can't say it out loud.

"Really?" Kid Flash asks. "We're definitely going to have to go on a world-wide road trip then."

"Sounds cool," I say, glancing over at Robin. He's pacing around with a cast on his arm, having conversations with about five different people at once as he tries to figure out what we have to do next. I don't know why we haven't just swarmed the Brotherhood base yet, but we haven't. Robin's still making up the plan as he goes along.

He's not really paying much attention to what anyone else is doing.

I turn back to Kid Flash and say, "What do you say we start right now? With Paris?"

He grins. "Really?"

"Yeah," I reply. "I've never seen the sights. I say we get out of here. Robin will call us when he needs us."

"Great!" Kid Flash says. "Where should we start?"

"Huh… I don't know…" I answer. "You know more about Paris then I do. Surprise me."

"Okay," he says. There's a blur of color and the next thing I know we're standing in front of the Louvre.

"The Louvre," I comment.

"Well, I know you like art," he says. "And the Louvre is really fantastic."

"Yeah," I say, smiling. "This is so… Thanks, Wally."

"You're welcome," he replies, putting his arm around my shoulder. "Come on, I know one of the guards. He'll let us in." I roll my eyes as we approach one of the guards. Kid Flash starts talking to him in French. About a minute later we're inside.

"Was that illegal?" I ask.

"Maybe."

"Okay, I thought I was the criminal."

"Maybe."

After rolling my eyes again, I look around the room. There's countless paintings on the walls. Countless really, really incredible paintings. I don't even know where to start. I pick a painting at random and walk up to it. It's a painting of angels, probably by some renaissance painter. And it's beautiful. Really, really beautiful. I move from painting to painting. I cannot believe that I'm actually here. This is amazing. This is so amazing. This is…

"Oh…" Kid Flash says suddenly, sounding startled and nervous.

"What?" I ask. He raises his eyebrows and gestures towards a corner of the room.

"Look over there."

I look. I don't know what I'm looking. What's over there that's so…

Oh.

Oh, no.

Speedy.

"What is he doing here?" I whisper.

"I don't know." Kid Flash whispers back. "I'm kind of worried. Do you think we should leave?"

"No, we're not leaving. I want to see the Louvre. I'm not letting him ruin that," I reply boldly. I'm not sure I really feel that bold.

I take a deep breath and say, "I'll be right back."

And I storm right up to where Speedy is standing.

"What are you doing?" I whisper sharply. "Are you stalking me?"

"Can't a guy enjoy an art museum?" he replies coolly.

"Not a guy like you," I snap. "Just tell me what you're doing here."

He smirks at me. "We should take this outside."

I bite my bottom lip and glance over at Kid Flash. He looks worried. Scared. I catch his eye and smile at him, weakly, and he smiles back, weakly. I turn back to Speedy.

"Make it quick."

I follow him outside into the museum's garden. It's so dark out. I wonder what time it is. It's practically pitch black. I can barely see what's in front of me. No one else is out here, thank God.

It's a really, really beautiful garden. Of course it is. The building used to be a palace. But it's still beautiful. Eerily beautiful. Too beautiful. Too freaking eerily beautiful.

God, I want to scream.

"Well," I ask, "What are you doing here?"

He smirks at me again. " I just wanted to tell you that I'm getting tired of waiting."

"Waiting for what?" I say harshly. What could he possible be...

"For you to quit the team."

Oh.

"So here's the deal," he says, "Quit. Tonight. Before we leave Paris. Or I'll tell Robin about Blood and he'll kick you off."

I really, really want to scream.

"I'm not working for Blood," is all I manage to say.

"But Robin doesn't know that," Speedy says. He makes this noise under his breath, like he's laughing at me. Like this is funny.

Like he's enjoying hurting me.

Not that I don't know how that feels.

No, no that's not true. That can't be true. I never wanted to hurt anyone. I never enjoyed it. I hated it. I hated every moment of it. Every. Freaking. Moment. I...

I'm not evil.

I think I'm starting to tear up. I blink it back. I'm not going to let him see me cry.

But he sees the tears anyway. "Oh, that's pathetic," he says.

"_I'm_ pathetic? You're blackmailing me because you don't like me! _That's_ pathetic!"

"Who said it had anything to do with me not liking you? You're a threat..."

"To the team." I finish. "Yeah. I know. It's not like I haven't already heard that from everyone else!"

"That's only because it true!"

"You know what? You're right. It is true! But who freaking said that you got to decide that?"

"I did! I don't trust you! No one trusts you! I..."

"No, someone does!" I shout. "And you know what? He's the only reason I'm happy! I hated myself before I came to this team! And Kid Flash... He's the only reason I don't anymore. And if that's a problem for you..." "And what if it is?"

"Then..." I start. Then... What then? I don't know what then. Then...

Wait.

"So it is a problem for you? That's what this about?" I ask. "I didn't say that," Speedy replies.

"It's a yes or no question. Answer it," I demand.

He narrows his eyes. "Yeah. It is."

"So you want me off the team because you don't like I'm dating Kid Flash?" I ask. "Real mature."

"I didn't say that was why I wanted you off the team," he replies.

"But it is, isn't it? This isn't about the team at all, is it? This is about you."

"I didn't say..."

"It's a yes or no question."

He glares at me. "Yes."

"_That_," I say, "is pathetic.

I turn around, starting to walk away. I'm sure he's going to say something really horrible about me right now. I'm not going to listen to it. I'm sick of listening to...

"Yeah," I hear him whisper. "I know."

I turn around to face him.

"I'm so pathetic," he says

He's biting his bottom lip. I can't tell through his mask, but I think he might have shut his eyes, trying to keep himself from crying.

He stand there like that until I finally ask, "Are you okay?"

"No," he answers.

"Do you..." I can't believe I'm asking him this. "Do you want to... Talk or something?"

"No," he answers again. "Not to you. Not to the person who reminds me of how pathetic I am every time I look at you."

"What?" I ask. I should have something better to say then that. Something sarcastic and horrible because this is the guy who's been blackmailing me. But I don't.

Silence.

"He helped you," Speedy whispers. "And I didn't help her. I'm too pathetic to help her."

Her?

"Who are you talking about?" I ask.

He looks at me. And he smiles. Not a smirk. He's not mocking me. I think he smiling because... Because it's the only thing keeping him from crying. And he doesn't want me to see him cry.

"Cheshire."

And suddenly I want to scream again.

He's making my life miserable because... Because he has some stupid crush on some stupid girl and because he didn't help her and because...

God, I'm such a hypocrite.

He's not doing anything worse then anything I've done to... To the HIVE and to...

No, it is. He's _blackmailing_ me. I haven't anything like that since... Since I left the HIVE. I haven't hurt anyone like that since... Well, not intentionally and...

God.

I'm not gonna scream.

I'm not gonna scream.

I'm not gonna scream. I'm not gonna let myself lose it. I'm _not_. I'm...

God.

I. Am. Not. Going. To. Scream.

I look at him. He looks back. And I open my mouth to speak.

"So help her. No one's stopping you."

And I turn around and I leave.

I don't look back. I don't look behind me even once as I walk straight back inside. Kid Flash is waiting by the door, looking nervous and worried.

"What happened?" he asks immediately.

"Nothing, I'm fine."

"Jinx..."

"I said I'm fine!" I snap.

"Jinx," he repeats softly, taking my hand and looking me right in the eyes. "No more pretending, okay?"

I close my eyes and let out a long breath. And then I tell him, in as much detail as I possibly can without making my brain explode, what happened.

When I finally open my eyes, Kid Flash is looking at me, shocked and concerned. "Wow, that's... Intense," he comments. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I don't know," I reply quietly. "I mean, I guess I'm okay. I don't think he's... Blackmailing me anymore, so... What's there to not be okay about?"

Kid Flash smiles and pulls me into a hug. "I'm just glad this mess is over," he says.

"Yeah," I reply.

We hug for a moment, and then Kid Flash says, "Raven called. Everyone's heading to the base, and Robin's pretty mad that we snuck off. I said we'd meet them there. We should probably get going. Should we tell..."

"No," I answer. "Someone will call him."

And in a blur of color we leave.

Less then a second later we're there.

The Brotherhood's base.

It feels real and it feels like a dream. It looks the same and it looks like it aged a million years.

Was it really only a few weeks ago?

The Teen Titans are standing around the building, whispering in groups or just staring at it. I think everyone's here except... Speedy, I guess... And Robin.

"Are we going inside?" I hear Kid Flash ask someone as I just stare up at the building.

"I don't think so." I hear Wonder Girl reply. "Robin went in a couple minutes ago. He told us to wait here. I think the plan's is just to see... Well, to see who's still there, and then just to leave. Me and a few other people are worried if we stay too long we might get ambushed, so..."

"So no one else even gets to go in there?" I ask sharply, turning away from the building. "So Robin's the only one who gets to see this for himself?" I can see Robin exiting the base out of the corner of my eye, and he starts to say something to Raven.

"Jinx, I don't think..." Wonder Girl begins. I don't let her finish.

"Forget it," I say. "I'm going in." I start to walk towards the door.

"Jinx, wait," Kid Flash calls out. I can see a blur as he runs to catch up to me. "Are you sure you want to go in there?"

"Yeah. I am," I say, still walking.

"Well, do you want me to come with you or something?"

"I don't need you to protect me," I snap. walking faster.

He 's faster then that, though. There's blur, and he standing right in front of me, blocking my path.

"I want to," he says, looking me in the eyes.

I almost want to close my eyes or look somewhere else but I can't tear my eyes away from his. I have to fight to keep from crying, from getting scared of what I'm about to do, with everyone else watching.

"Okay," I say.

We walk into the base.

It looks just how I remember it. But inside, it stills feels like it aged a million in just a few weeks. Spider webs everywhere and a thin layer of dust coating the floor.

I think this hallway must go on forever. It's too long. I can't see the end of it. And all I can hear are my footsteps and Kid Flash's footsteps because I can't say anything and I guess he can't either.

Why am I even doing this? What am I looking for?

I know exactly what I'm looking for.

What if it's true? What if he's here?

What if he's...

We reach the end of the end of the hallway. We're standing on some kind of balcony, with a railing at the end, overlooking the room where the fight was. I walk to the edge, teetering over the railing, and look out at the room. It looks the same too. Big and dark with chessboard floors. It looks exactly the same.

Except...

Oh.

My.

God.

The freezing machine is crushed, under a pile of rock and debris. I think someone brought the ceiling down on top of it, just to get rid of it. Just to break it.

So no could ever use it on them again.

Ever.

I grip onto the railing with both hands.

They wouldn't just leave someone behind. I know they're villains. I know villains aren't always... Good... But I know that they're...

We're not always bad.

They wouldn't just leave someone behind.

They wouldn't just leave someone for...

Oh.

My.

God.

He's there.

He's the only one there.

He's the only one who's...

In a way it's almost beautiful in here. From a certain angle, in a certain light, it's like a painting. A single figure etched in glass, on a chessboard floor, illuminated by starlight from through the cracks in the ceiling.

It shouldn't be beautiful.

But it's still beautiful.

Eerily beautiful.

Too beautiful.

Too.

Freaking.

Eerily.

Beautiful.

My hands tighten on the rail.

He's...

See-More is...

Dead.

My hands are holding the railing so tight every vein sticks out, bright blue against nothing but white, white, white.

But my knees are weak.

And I crash to the ground.

I start to cry, and the tears are spilling all over the floor. A few fall off the balcony and down to the floor below, leaving stains on the black and white squares.

My hand let go of the railing and fall to meet my knees on the ground.

And I cry and cry and cry.

He's dead.

He's dead and there's no hope of ever bringing him back, which maybe I was still hoping for.

He's dead and I killed him.

It's all my fault, it's all my stupid fault, it's all, it's all...

He's dead.

I feel Wally's arms wrap around my waist. He holds me as I just keep crying, crying, crying.

He's dead, he's dead, he's dead.

Slowly, Wally lifts me into his arms, picking me up as he stands, his arms supporting me knees and back and my arms around his neck.

And he holds me like that as he walks back down the long hallway, one slow step at a time.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I insist on walking once we reach the door. And we head outside slowly, hand in hand.

The moment we step outside, Wonder Girl rushes over to us.

"He's gone," she says quietly.

"Who's gone?" Wally asks.

"Speedy. He just... Left. Nobody's seen him."

"Has anyone tried to track him?" Wally asks.

"We can't," she answers. And she holds out her hand and there's something in it.

It's a Titans communicator. Speedy's communicator.

I take in from her. I hold it in my hand and stare at it.

Wherever he's going, he doesn't want to be found.

What have I done?

His communicator is showing a clock. Six-thirty-seven pm, pacific standard time. I wonder what time that makes it here. Whatever it is, it's the pitch black middle of the night.

I hurl the communicator against the ground.

And it shatters.

_Just need to breathe, somebody please _

_Slow me down_

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Notes

And the sound of an Imploding Creamsicle is... Deafening silence.

I can't believe I just wrote that chapter. I've had the scene at the base in my head for ages. It feels weird and a little sad and very awesome to have finally written it down. I love that scene. Jinx has finally lost whatever bit of hope that See-More could be alive that she had because she saw the broken freezy machine, and because she saw him. Jinx is an artist, and I think she's very visual. So it was one thing for her to hear about See-More still being frozen, but it's another thing entirely for her to see it. She has lost all doubts and all hope that she could do something about it, and now all that's left is the guilt and the pain. And I love that at the end of that scene, when Wally carries her, he's walking. Because he's fast, so it means a lot that he's taking such slow steps.

As for Speedy, that's the real Imploding Creamsicle. He left. He is off in search of Cheshire. He might not be coming back. I'm a big fan of the Speedy and Cheshire relationship, because of Lian from the comics. but also because their supposed to be enemies. In that way, it's similar to Jinx and Kid Flash's relationship. So, in a weird and twisted way, it makes sense that Speedy is resentful of that relationship and of Jinx being on the team. Which is why he wanted to get rid of her. And it's also weird and twisted because the scene where Jinx throws the communicator and it breaks is sort of a parallel to when, all the way back in chapter one, Jinx dropped her HIVE communicator and it broke. So it's all very weird and twisted but somehow it kind of works, in my opinion. And now Jinx has to feel the guilt of Speedy leaving too.

Wow. I think those are the most serious and depressing author's notes I've ever written. So to lighten things up, I'd like to point out that a) I have officially screwed over the Flash family tree, and I decided I'm just going to go with it and have Bart be Kid Flash's nephew and stuff, and b) Paris is nine hours later then California, so somehow Jinx, Kid Flash, and Speedy all got into the Louvre at about three in the morning.

Title and lyrics from _Slow Me Down_ by Emmy Rossum.

Review Responses:

featherpen13: Well, now you know why he's blackmailing here! Thanks! I'm glad you liked the double date, and the "you can cry" part. They're some of my favorite parts!

Archerelf: I guess she can't? XD

Madam Moony: Thanks! I'm so glad you liked it! And no you know what an imploding creamsicle sounds like too.

ALLpraiseb2Him: Thank you for the delicious cookie! :) Yes, that's exactly what's up with Rosie. And thanks so much for loving my story and thinking it's awesome!

Melodine: Now you know what's up with Speedy! I really like the part with Raven, too. I don't think I could ever write a story with Raven in the lead role, but I have a lot of fun writing the scenes with her.

WolfKeeper929: Thanks!

Terra106: Thanks so much ! I'm so glad you loved it!

SGT Faust: Thank you! Red Bull can be funny.

titangirl97: Thank you! Don't be mad at Robin, though, he's just taking out years of frustration against his dad on his girlfriend, childhood friend, and his childhood friend's girlfriend. Which actually sounds very mean of him now that I've typed that. Hmm... XD As for Raven, I'm not sure. I haven't though too much about that. Given Raven's history with Terra I guess she'd be suspicious? But I think she probably trusts Kid Flash's judgment, and even if she didn't, she wouldn't want a repeat of what happened with Terra, so she'd keep her mouth shut? I don't really know.

lemony anemone: Thank you! I'm sorry it was confusing! Maybe it's because of how long it took me to update?

Special thanks to my brother for editing!


	13. Shadow of the Day

**Shadow of the Day**

11:38 pm, pacific standard time.

We arrive back at Titans West Tower.

11:39.

I cannot believe we just spent the last five hours searching all of France for Speedy. Well, five hours and one minute. Two minutes now.

11:40.

I can believe we didn't find him, though.

11:41.

And now we're... Here.

11:42.

It's sort of pathetic, really.

11:43.

Starfire sits down on one end of the couch. She looks like she might cry.

11:44.

Kole and Gnaark take a few steps in one direction, then change their minds and go right back to where they were standing.

11:45.

I can't believe any of this really just happened.

11:46.

I sort of almost expect to wake up in my bed at the HIVE and find out that this was just a dream.

11:47.

That all of this was just a dream.

11:48.

I sit down on the other end of the couch.

11:49.

He's gone.

11:50.

They're both gone.

11:51.

I wonder if anyone else is counting the minutes like this.

11:52.

Argent sits down in a chair at the kitchen counter.

11:53.

It's too quiet in here.

11:54.

But if anyone was talking it would be too loud.

11:55.

Wally sits down next to me.

11:56.

At least he's still here.

11:57.

I really don't know what I'd do if he wasn't.

11:58.

I lean my head on Wally's shoulder.

11:59.

Oh. My. God.

12:00 am.

It's tomorrow.

12:01.

Well, this sure isn't New Years.

12:02.

Or maybe it's today and today was yesterday.

12:03.

I can't believe this happened. I can't believe this happened _yesterday_.

12:04.

Well, with the time difference between here and Paris, I guess it technically happened today and until a few minutes ago it happened tomorrow. Which maybe means it hadn't happened yet, or that it won't happen yet until its the same time here that it was in Paris yesterday. I mean today.

12:05.

Okay, now I'm just giving myself a headache.

12:06.

Bumblebee leans against the wall and presses her hand against her forehead.

12:07.

She seems really shaken by this.

12:08.

Speedy leaving, I mean. Not See-More. Nobody even knows about See-More except me and Wally.

12:09.

They probably wouldn't care even if they did.

12:10.

Of course Bumblebee's shaken. He was on her team. They must have been close.

12:11.

Maybe that was how See-More felt. How they all felt.

12:12.

Twelve twelve. One two one two. That's kind of a cool number.

12:13.

I wonder why time works in twelves and sixties.

12:14.

I wonder why time works at all. It's such an impossibly big thing shoved into such an impossibly simple system.

12:15.

Sort of like good and evil.

12:16.

Robin sits down next to Starfire, cautiously balancing his cast on the back of the couch.

12:17.

I don't understand why Speedy took this out on me. It's not my fault he wasn't all "you-jump-I-jump" to Cheshire.

12:18.

Did I just use the "you-jump-I-jump" thing?

12:19.

It's official. I have seen _Titanic_ way too many times.

12:20.

Seriously.

12:21.

Beast Boy opens the refrigerator, takes out a slice of pizza, which I guess must have soy cheese or something, sits down, and starts eating it.

12:22.

How he is eating right now is completely beyond me.

12:23.

Just thinking about food is making me feel like puking.

12:24.

I don't even think I could drink a glass of water right now without throwing up.

12:25.

Or hot chocolate. And I love hot chocolate.

12:26.

Wally starts to stroke my hair gently.

12:27.

It feels... Nice.

12:28.

Almost too nice. Out of place nice.

12:29.

Nice like a "how can anything feel this nice when everything is so messed up" sort of nice.

12:30.

But nice. Really, really nice.

12:31.

Aqualad leans on the wall next to Bumblebee, and puts his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

12:32.

He covers his mouth with his other hand, like he's trying not to scream or cry.

12:33.

Mas and Menos walk over to their teammates and slump to the floor.

12:34.

And there's the four of them. Two standing. Two sitting. All just...Still.

12:35.

What would they say if they knew he was blackmailing me?

12:36.

What would they say if they knew I'm the one who told him to leave?

12:37.

Six hours.

12:38.

Six. Freaking. Hours.

12:39.

Jericho sits down at the counter.

12:40.

He presses his hands together and lowers his head and closes his eyes.

12:41.

Praying.

12:42.

I wonder if it helps to be religious.

12:43.

Not just with this. I wonder if it helps with...

12:44.

Everything.

12:45.

Raven moves towards the window.

12:46.

She stands close, her nose almost touching the glass, looking out.

12:47.

There's a lot of lights on out there in the city for almost one in the morning.

12:48.

I wonder what people are doing.

12:49.

Maybe they're watching other people's lives fall apart too.

12:50.

Maybe they're watching their own lives fall apart.

12:51.

Starfire leans against Robin's arm, the one that isn't broken.

12:52.

Her head sort of drifts onto his shoulder but I'm not sure either of them notice.

12:53.

See-More was the only one left.

12:54.

How could they just leave him?

12:55.

How could I just leave him?

12:56.

Maybe if I'd gone back, really gone back. Maybe if I'd said something before I just packed my bags and left. Maybe if I'd noticed that he cared.

12:57.

Maybe if I wasn't such a selfish jerk and I had actually thought about someone other then myself and I had noticed how much this would hurt him then maybe...

12:58.

Who am I trying to fool?

12:59.

I couldn't have gone back.

1:00.

I needed to leave. To be with Wally. To do something that was right for me for once in my life.

1:01.

What else was I supposed to do?

1:02.

I made the right choice. For me.

1:03.

It was the best freaking thing I could freaking do.

1:04.

Cyborg sits down at the counter next to Beast Boy.

1:05.

Was he really Stone?

1:06.

Was Bumblebee really that girl in my history of villains class?

1:07.

That place is gone.

1:08.

How can a place where I spent so many freaking years just be gone?

1:09.

How did I end up there?

1:10.

How did I end up here?

1:11.

Aren't you supposed to be able to make a wish when all the digits on a clock are the same like that?

1:12.

Not that I know what to wish for.

1:13.

Starfire starts to cry.

1:14.

And the whole room explodes with noise.

1:15.

Everyone's talking, crying, dialing phones, making so much freaking noise.

1:16.

Except me.

1:17.

What does that make me?

1:18.

Robin kisses Starfire softly on her forehead, and gently ruffles her hair. "We're okay," he whispers. "Everything's gonna be okay."

1:19.

If he was a little taller, or if she was a little shorter, but the way they're sitting....

It's almost an exact mirror of the way Wally and I are sitting.

1:20.

How can Robin, the same Robin who said all those awful things about me, be so...

1:21.

He really loves her, doesn't he?

1:22.

I feel so awful for hating him.

1:23.

"What are we going to do?" I hear Aqualad ask his teammates

1:24.

"I don't know," Bumblebee replies, quietly but firmly.

1:25.

I bet they didn't know what to do either.

1:26.

When I left.

1:27.

Did they look like that? All huddled up together, verging on screaming and verging on tears and just trying to figure out what to do now?

1:28.

How did I that to them?

1:29.

How could I...

1:30.

Hurt them like that?

1:31.

I love Wally.

1:32.

Maybe that's the only thing that matters.

1:33.

Maybe it's something that for the first time in my life I'm happy.

1:34.

I really hope that it's something.

1:35.

"Are you okay?" Wally asks me.

1:36.

"No," I whisper.

1:37.

Seven hours.

1:38.

Oh.

1:39.

My.

1:40.

God.

_And the sun will set for you._

* * *

**Chapter 13**

Um... Yeah.

There's so much in this chapter that I don't really know where to begin. It's just two hours in the aftermath of the previous chapter. The minutes thing made this chapter really easy to write and really hard to write at the exact same time, because every time Jinx finished a train of thought I had to come up with something completely different.

There's a lot of things I really love in this chapter, but what stands out to me is that there's no dialogue until Starfire starts crying. Nobody wants to be the first to break down. And even after that, Jinx only says one word in this entire chapter, and she also didn't have any dialogue for the last few pages of the previous chapter. So it's this long silence that's finally being broken, in a really depressing way.

What I want to know, is... Why do I never write anything happy? Seriously. Everything I've written in the past month has been ridiculously depressing. I so need to write something about, like... Ice cream and kittens and fluffy smiling clouds.

Title and lyrics from _Shadow of the Day_ by Linkin Park.

* * *

Review Responses:

KF Fan: I'm glad you like my plot! Thanks for your opinion about my characterization of Jinx, I really appreciate it.

ALLpraiseb2Him: Thank you for the cookie! At this point I can't really say if Rosie likes or dislikes Joey, but you'll find out soon. I think I'm probably just going to make Joey and Rosie full siblings, because there's less back story to deal with that way.

titangirl797: Thanks so much! Well, in a way, Robin is kinda-sorta out to get Jinx, right? He's not evil, though. About the story-length, I don't have a definite answer yet. I know pretty much exactly what's going to happen in the next three chapters, but I'm not quite sure how many chapter I'll need after that to reach an ending, especially since I don't really have an ending in mind. And if people would be interested in a sequel, I have ideas for that as well.

Robert Teague: Thanks so much! I really love writing Starfire, she's one of my favorite characters.

featherpen13: Thanks so much! I am so glad it made sense, because I was seriously worried that it would seem kind of far-fetched and crazy. As far as See-More goes, he had feelings for Jinx, but other then that there's no triangle.

Melodine: Yeah, it was for Cheshy. I'm just really fond of SpeedyxCheshire. I feel bad for Speedy too.

Terra106: Thanks so much! Yeah, I write absurdly long chapters sometimes. Chapter six is twelve pages!

Tamara Kempton: Thank you so, so much! That really means a lot to me!

Special thanks to my brother for editing.


	14. Because of You

Because of You

Six am.

I can't believe I'm up this early. I can't believe the Justice League wants everyone in San Diego again today. We have to work today. I can't believe I'm even functioning since I got less then three hours of sleep.

I can't believe I'm still obsessing over what time it is. Over how many hours we've been here. Over how many hours since...

Oh, my God.

I've got to get away from the clock. I get out of bed, almost tripping over Rosie's sleeping bag. It wasn't that close to me when she went to sleep last night. It's moved like five feet over the course of the night, actually.

It's like she didn't want to be alone.

Don't know why she'd pick me to be so close to.

I leave the room, carefully stepping around Wonder Girl and Kole, and closing the door as quietly as possible so I don't wake anyone up. I get dressed in the bathroom, and then make my way into the living room.

No one else is in here. Well, this is weird.

I wonder if anyone else is even up. I wonder if anyone else couldn't sleep because they felt so much like screaming.

I sit down on the couch. Maybe I should turn the TV on. Maybe it would help if it weren't so quiet. If there were finally some freaking noise in this freaking room where everyone sat in silence for almost three freaking hours.

What am I even doing here?

Why am I here in this tower, here on this mission, here on this _team_?

Here with... With him.

Did I seriously think this would be better?

Well, yeah. I did. Maybe it is. For me. Maybe. I don't know.

But I'm just making everything worse for everyone else.

The door opens, and Bumblebee walks into the room. "Oh, hey, Jinx I didn't know you were awake. You an early riser too?" she asks.

"Not usually. Couldn't sleep," I reply.

"Me neither," she says. I stand up and lean against the counter, and she turns on the coffeemaker. "Want some coffee?"

"Sure," I say, as she gets two mugs out of the cabinet. I can't believe she's so... Calm. Here I am practically freaking out, and Bumblebee, who actually knew Speedy, knew him well, she's so...

Calm.

Then again, Speedy didn't die last night.

"Sugar?" Bumblebee asks, handing me a mug of coffee.

"Yeah, thanks." I add a spoonful of sugar and stir.

"No problem," she says. I take a sip of coffee. It's not quite hot chocolate, but it'll do.

Her teammate left last night, to chase some girl. And she's so eerily calm it makes me want to scream. I half expected her to be mad at me. Not that she knows what happened, or even why he left, so I guess she couldn't be. No on knows but me and Wally. But still, someone's going to figure it out eventually. Someone's going to figure out that if I hadn't come up with that stupid theory about Rose and the HIVE then none of this would have...

The HIVE.

"Bumblebee, can I ask you something?" I say slowly.

"Yeah, shoot."

"At the HIVE, we were building that ion amplifier. What did... What did it do?"

"The amplifier? It could have done a lot," she begins. "It could alter chemical levels and molecular structures. It could basically change or destroy anything if you went about it right. Why?"

I take another sip of coffee.

"Just wondering, I guess."

"It's weird," she muses, "that so many of the effects of this earthquake seem like they were caused by molecular alterations. The breathing problems, the disappearances, the..." Her eyes go wide. "Wait, are you asking because you think that..."

"That the amplifier caused it," I finish. "Yeah."

"That's it," she whispers, not really to me. "That's got to be right."

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Well, me and my big mouth.

Bumblebee told Robin. Robin told... I don't even know who Robin told. And now, while I'm here on freaking hospital duty, again, Robin's off somewhere telling the Justice League all about my stupid theory.

Go me.

I see a blur of color rush past me. That's the only good news. Since I'm stuck at the hospital, and Wally's transporting people back and forth, I can talk to him whenever he gets a minute away. The blur rushes past me about three more times within six seconds before Wally stops and sits down next to me. "Hey, Jinx!" he says, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

"Hey," I say. "You don't know if Robin's still talking to the Justice League, do you?"

"I ran into Raven a little while ago, and she says he is."

I groan. "What could they possibly still be talking about?"

"Well, Batman doesn't get a lot of chances to talk to Robin. He's probably taking advantage of that," Wally suggests. "You know, grilling him about Starfire."

I sigh. "I shouldn't have asked Bumblebee about the amplifier."

"I think it's good you did," Wally says. "Everyone wants to figure this out."

I stare at the floor. They must clean this place a lot. I can practically see my reflection. "I know, but... But what if they blame me? I used to be part of the HIVE. What if they think I triggered it?"

"They won't," Wally replies simply.

"You don't know that."

"I know my uncle," he says. "And he wouldn't do that. Even Batman's not _that_ single-minded."

"Must be where Robin gets it from," I mumble. Wally laughs.

"It's _exactly_ where Robin gets it from," he says.

"So, how's transportation duty?" I ask, trying to change the subject because I can't freaking think about the freaking Justice League anymore.

"It's cool. There's not a lot of people who need to be transported anymore, so the nurses have Mas, Menos, and I doing errands. They love us, though. They're paying us in food."

"Ugh, thanks for reminding me how hungry I am," I say sarcastically. "I've been here so long that I missed lunch."

"I'll bring you something," Wally says. "What do you want?"

"Whatever." There's a flash of color and a few seconds later Wally's back, holding some sort of pasta.

"Spaghetti fresh from Italy, and chocolate gelato for dessert," he explains.

"Thanks." As I begin eating, Mas and Menos rush over to the bench and start talking rapidly in Spanish. Wally says something back, and they nod and start talking even faster, overlapping each other's words.

Wally turns to me. "So, they just said that the nurses found out I got a few of them gelato and now they all want some. Which means I have to go back to Italy and buy about six dozen cups," he says, laughing. He stands up, and then quietly adds, "Are you gonna be okay?"

"Probably not," I grumble. "I'll survive."

He nods, and adds, "Oh, when we get back to the tower, I need to talk to you about something," before he kisses me and runs off.

Huh. I wonder what that's about. Whatever, no use getting myself more worked up then I already am. I lean against the wall and take a few more bites of spaghetti. It's good. Suddenly, I can hear footsteps behind me, and a shout of "Jinx!"

I turn around and see Lorena running towards me. "Oh my gosh, this is so exciting! Kid Flash told me you were here! I snuck out of my room just to find you!"

"Hey, Lorena," I say. "How's it going?"

"Good!" she squeals. I notice that her hair's wet. She's probably still showering constantly. She's probably still having the same breathing problems that might have been caused by this freaking ion amplifier.

"I'm so bored, though," Lorena continues. "I've read, like, a jillion books, and seen every episode of _That's So Raven _at least twice. I mean, there's nothing to do around here! I just..." She pauses, biting her lip, and finishes, "I just want to go home."

"You still haven't heard from your family?" I ask. She shakes her head.

"I just don't know if... If they're even..." She looks like she might cry. I wish I knew what to say to her. I wish I didn't suck so much when it came to people.

"Do you want some gelato?" I ask. She nods eagerly and smiles, wiping the beginnings of tears from her eyes. I hand her the cup of gelato and she starts eating it.

"This is awesome!" she exclaims. "Where'd you get it?"

"I think it's from Italy."

She giggles. "Oh, so Kid Flash bought it then?"

"Yeah."

"It must be so cool to be able to travel the world in just a few seconds!" she says. "I mean, I've never even been outside of California."

"I hadn't either until a few weeks ago," I tell her.

"Awesome! Where'd you go?"

"Paris."

"Oh yeah, for that big Teen Titans smack-down with the BOE!" she exclaims. "I read about that. It must have been so cool! I read about all the Teen Titan battles, but that one's my favorite 'cause _everyone_ was there, and 'cause you switched sides! It's just so incredible to think that you guys beat all those bad guys and..."

Bad guys.

What does that even mean, anyway?

It can't mean they're all just nothing but bad.

It can't. I used to be one of them. I'm not nothing but bad.

Am I?

"So did you hear?" Lorena asks.

"Hear what?"

"What the Justice League figured out about the earthquake."

Wait, what?

"No, what did they figure out?" I ask.

"Well," Lorena says, "I heard that they figured out that the earthquake caused people to, like, grow gills or something. That's why they can't breath. And they going to have to, like, build a whole city underwater so people can, like, live."

"Oh," I say. Well, that's... I don't know. A bit of information overload, maybe. I mean, if it _is_ the detonator, then, in a way, didn't I sort of indirectly help cause this?

"I'm probably gonna have to go there..." Lorena says. "Especially if my family doesn't find me... If they're..." She trails off, taking another bite of gelato.

In a way, didn't I sort of indirectly help cause a ten-year old girl to lose her family?

"Ohmygosh, by the way, do you watch _America's Next Top Model_?" Lorena exclaims. "'Cause I just heard that later this season, Tyra is gonna..." She rambles on about and I pretend to be interested.

An underwater city, huh?

I mean, I guess it's good they'll have somewhere to go.

It's better then letting all these people become villains.

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I knock on Cyborg's door as soon as I get back to the tower. Aqualad opens the door.

"Hey, is Wally here?" I ask.

"Yeah, hi!" Wally exclaims from across the room, smiling. "What's up?"

"You said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Oh. Yeah. That," he says, his smile fading, He stand up and walks to the door so fast that he practically appears at me side. "We should go somewhere else," he whispers.

I nod and we walk to the empty bedroom. I sit down on the couch as he closes the door and then sits down next to me.

"So?" I ask.

"God, I don't really know how to explain this.." He replies. I bite my lip. This doesn't sound good.

"You're not... Breaking up with me, are you?"

"Of course not!" Wally exclaims. "No, it's good news Do you... Remember when you said that you don't remember your real name?"

"Yeah," I reply.

"Well, since then, I've called just about every mental institution in the state. And I found the one you used to live in."

My mouth falls open. "Wait, what? You did that?" He can't be serious.

"Yeah, I did," he says, grinning sheepishly.

He's serious.

"Why..." I begin, staring at the floor. "Why would you do that?"

Why would he look for a past I'm not sure I want to remember?

"I thought they might have a copy of your birth certificate," Wally answers. "And they did."

"Oh."

"It didn't have a name on it, though. It was just a medical history and date of birth, and..."

"And all the names and locations were removed." I finish "So no would be able to identify me, I know. They told me when I lived there."

"Right," Wally says. "But I asked them to send me a copy. And they also sent me your fingerprints."

"And?" I ask, even though I'm not sure I want to know the answer.

"And I ran them by the hospital. They found a match."

What?

I think I just hallucinated or something. He did not really just say that...

He draws a folded up manila envelope out of the pocket of his jeans. "This is your birth certificate. Your entire birth certificate."

Oh my God. He really just said that.

I think he can sense that I'm freaking out. He places a hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to read it. I haven't looked at it either, don't worry. It's your choice, I just... I wanted you to have a choice."

"Why?" I suddenly find myself shouting. "Why would you go looking for this? Didn't I tell you I don't want to know?"

I can't do this. I can't read this and I can't watch him hope for me to read this and I definently can't watch the hurt on his face as I'm yelling at him and... I stand up. "I need some air," I say, running out of the room.

I lean against the wall in the hallway and press my hand to my forehead. What am I supposed to do about this? I can't read it. I can't know. I don't want to know. Do I? I don't know. Inside that envelope is the answer to a question I've spent my whole life trying to block out. Does that mean I don't want to know the answer? I don't know. I really don't know.

I need to clear my head, do something else, think about something else. I'd draw, but lately all I can draw is him. And that's not gonna help me escape this.

Well, I guess I could... Read. I walk down the hall Raven's room and knock on the door. The door opens.

"Yes?" Raven asks dryly.

"Do you. have a... Um..." I can't believe I'm about to ask for this. But everyone keeps comparing me to it. I might as well know what their talking about.

"Do you have a copy of _Romeo and Juliet _that I could borrow?"

Raven disappears from the doorway and comes back a moment later with a small book bound by a deep red velvet cover, the words _Romeo and Juliet_ embossed in gold.

"Here," she says, handing me the book.

"Thanks," I reply. She nods and shuts the door.

I make my way back to empty bedroom, and knock first to make sure that Wally, or anyone else, isn't inside. No answer. Thank God.

I curl up on the couch and open the book. _Two households both alike in dignity, In fair Verona where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge breaks to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean._

Yeah.

What the heck is that supposed to mean?

I read those first four lines again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Six times. I've read the same four lines six times and I still have no clue what they're talking about. Why do people like this Shakespeare stuff? Okay. One more time and if I don't get it I am giving up and watching _Friends_.

_Two households both alike in dignity._ So... they're the same. Equals. Like no one's better then anyone else.

_In fair Verona where we lay our scene._ Takes place in Verona. Wherever that is.

_From ancient grudge breaks to new mutiny._ Like... Bloodshed. Coming out of some old, stupid fight no one even remembers why anymore. And it just goes on and on until people don't even care why anymore and they're just fighting for the sake of fighting.

_Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean._ And in the end, it just destroys the lives of good people.

Oh.

Well, that's...

Brilliant. That is completely brilliant.

The next thing I know I'm completely absorbed in the play. This is amazing. This is, like, the best thing I've ever read. Seriously. How can something so old be so... Real? The characters are all so torn and confused and just trying to do the right thing and...

It's all just so real.

The door opens and I'm startled out of my Shakespeare-induced trance. Wally is standing at the entrance to the room.

"Hey," he says quietly, the door closing behind him. He walks over to the couch and sits next to me. "I just... I'm sorry. I should have asked before I looked for your birth certificate."

"No, I'm the one who should apologize," I tell him. "You were just trying to help and I completely blew up at you. I'm really sorry. And... Thanks. For trying but... But no thanks. I can't read it."

He nods. "I understand. I probably wouldn't want to read it either. If it were me." He looks at the book in my hand. "So, what are you reading?"

"Don't laugh."

"I won't."

"_Romeo and Juliet_."

He looks at me for a moment and then starts to snicker. "_You_? _You're_ reading _Romeo and Juliet_?" I glare at him and very seriously consider hitting him with the book.

"You said you weren't gonna laugh," I say sharply.

His snicker turns into a grin. "Sorry," he chuckles. "Just wasn't expecting that. What part are you on?"

"Uh... The ball," I answer. "They're meeting for the first time."

"Hey, I love that part!" he exclaims. I roll my eyes.

"I should not be this surprised that you're into Shakespeare."

He laughs, and starts looking at the book over my shoulder. "If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a gentle kiss," he reads, as goofily and over-dramatic and he possibly can. I start to roll my eyes again, until he adds, "Your turn."

I raise an eyebrow. "Your joking, right?"

"Nope."

I take a deep breathe, then read in a monotone, "Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hands too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this; for saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss."

"Have not saints lips," Wally reads, his light-hearted mockery of the lines suddenly turning into something... Real. "And holy palmers too?"

"Ay, pilgrim," I continue, not fighting the intensity and honesty in my words as it rises to match his, until we're not reading so much as just... Speaking. "Lips that they must use in pray'er."

"Oh, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do!" he says. "They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."

"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."

"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take."

We learn in, slowly, gently, eyes closing for just a brief moment as our lips just barely brush against each other, and I can see his eyes, unafraid, never moving from mine.

"Thus from my lips," I whisper, "by yours, my sin is purged."

He smiles at me. "That's Romeo's line."

As I look straight into his eyes, sparkling and clear, I feel tears start to well up in mine.

"Screw the lines."

And this time when I kiss him, it's quicker. Harder. Passionate.

But just as real.

My eyes flutter closed and I bring my arms around his neck. He runs one of his hands through my hair, softly touching my cheek with the other. I can feel his tongue brush up against mine as I start to tousle his hair. What did I do to deserve this? This is so... Perfect. The way I feel around him is better than I've felt in a long time. Ever.

What did I do to deserve being this happy?

His hand glides through my hair and down to the small of my back, and I bring one hand to his cheek, and...

And then I hear the door swinging, and my eyes snap open to see Beast Boy standing in the archway.

I pull away from Wally as Beast Boy's eyes go very, very wide. I'm not sure if he's mad or confused or maybe just kind of disgusting or maybe all three.

Beast Boy forces a nervous laugh. "I should go," he says, rushing back into the hall.

I stare at the door after it closes. "Why would Beast Boy want to come in here?"

Wally shakes his head, then takes one look at me and laughs. "Your hairs a mess."

"So's yours."

My eyes fall on something silver, gleaming in the light of the sunset coming through the window. I look a little closer, and see a heart-shaped box lying open on the floor. I don't remember that being here yesterday, or the day before, or any day, actually.

I see my face, reflected in its surface.

Oh.

My.

God.

"I'll be right back," I tell Wally. I leave the room, and walk through the hall and into the main room. No sign of Beast Boy.

I notice that the front door's slightly open. I walk through it, onto the rocks overlooking the water and the city, and there he is. He's sitting with his knees drawn in close, head down, staring at his face in the water.

I take a deep breath.

"It's Terra's room, isn't it?"

He looks up at me. He's crying.

"Yeah. It is."

I'm not sure what to say next. I have to say something. I can't just leave him here. I sit down on the rocks next to him.

"What happened?" I ask, "To Terra, I mean."

"Thought everybody knew," he says quietly.

"Just the stuff you told the press."

He doesn't reply. I'm not surprised. Whatever. I tried. I start to stand up.

"It was mostly my fault," he says.

I sit back down.

"We met her a little less then a year ago," he begins. "She was running from some monster and we went there to help her but she kicked its butt on her own. I knew... The second I saw her I knew. That I... That she was the one. That I wanted to spend my whole life with her. I guess it was pretty pathetic of me. To believe in fairy tales and happy endings and... And all that first-sight stuff. But I did. I was fourteen and stupid and I..." He pauses. I think he's stopping himself. It's about the third time he's done it. I can see in his face that he's choking on something he doesn't want to say. I can't look. I'm the one making him say it. How awful does that make me? I turn away, stare out at the city lights.

"Anyway," Beast Boy continues, "we were gonna invite her to join the team. But she couldn't really control her powers. And I found out and she made me swear not to tell, and I didn't. But, Robin, he's smart. He figured it out. She thought I told. She thought I betrayed her so she ran away."

The sun's still setting. It's pretty. Strands of pink and orange and yellow all swirled together, a big colorful canvas with paintings of buildings on top.

"She'd come with us on a battle with Slade. And he said something to her and she went kinda crazy after and I helped. I tried to. I guess it didn't work. I dunno what he said but I guess it was enough for her to go running to him after she left. He helped her control her powers, and she was his apprentice. She promised him she'd help him destroy us. She was thirteen. She was thirteen and he tried to turn her into some kind of monster."

The stars are starting to appear. I can just barely make out countless little silver and white and gold flecks.

"So she came back, and we let her on the team. I thought she was back for good. I don't know what everybody else thought. I don't think Raven trusted her. I think they were all just letting her back for me. They knew that I..." He stops himself again, before continuing. "They just wanted me to be happy."

"And I was. I was really, really happy. She and I were... Sort of almost a couple. Like, we'd never really said so, but we both wanted to be a couple. I think she did, anyway. I guess I'll never know what she really thought.

"She was with us for about a month. She turned fourteen while she was with us. And a little while after that I made her a box and asked her out on a date and she said no, and then while I was wondering what I did wrong she came in through my window and asked if I trusted her and I said yes. We went on a date. To a carnival. And she asked me if I would still be her friend if I knew she'd done something really bad. And I said yes. Because I didn't think she could do anything bad, not the kind of bad she was talking about. We were on the Ferris wheel and we were about to kiss, and then Slade showed up. And at first I thought he making up lies about her, to make me mad or crazy. And then she told me the truth.

"I told her she didn't have any friends and I left. I regret that. More then anything I've ever done in my life. Because if I hadn't said that, if I had told her that I..."

He picks up a rock and tosses it onto the water. It skips across the surface in four perfect skips before it sinks to the bottom.

"Well, maybe she would have stayed."

He throws another rock. This one skips seven times.

"Next time I saw her, Slade had completely taken over. She was angry and vengeful and she wanted to kill us, me, and she almost did. I convinced Robin to give her one more chance but after that even I lost faith in her. So we tried to stop her, and I went to Slade's hideout, and I think he had been beating her. She was covered in bruises and scrapes and her clothes were all torn. She told me to kill her. And the worst part is that I'd given up on her so much that part of me almost wanted to. But I couldn't. I could never hurt her, I..."

His third rock skips so many times that I lose count. It's still skipping as I lose sight of it off in the distance.

"Slade had control over her body because of the suit she was wearing. He tried to make her kill me, but she fought back. And she turned on him and she attacked him. But her powers, they triggered a volcano and in order to stop it she had to use her powers so much and somehow it turned her into stone. I was the last person to talk to her. She told me that I was the best friend she's ever had. And I didn't say anything. I wish I had. I wish I had told her I...."

The sun's almost completely gone now. There's just a think pink strip beneath layers and layers of darkness.

"We all thought Slade died in the volcano, but we found out later Raven's father saved him. Raven and Cyborg tried to reverse whatever turned her to stone but they never found a way. So now she's gone. She's gone and she's not coming back and its all my fault."

I want to tell him that I know how he feels. That I feel so guilty that See-More's gone. And I want to tell him that he doesn't have to be beating himself up about this. That it hurts but that in the end...

In the end there was nothing anyone could do.

Instead all I can say is, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Beast Boy says.

"I didn't know it was her room. I'll stop..."

"No," he interrupts. "No, actually, I think its good. That you found the room. It's the first time anything happy's ever happened in there."

The sky is pitch dark, except for the silvery stars and the bright half-moon.

"I'm happy you found the room. I'm happy you're getting the happiness that I tried so hard to give her. And I think that where she is now, I think she's maybe she's happy too, and that's all I ever really wanted 'cause I..."

A tear falls down his cheek.

"I love her."

I want to say something to make this better. I want to tell him that everything will be okay and I want that to be enough. I hate that I'm sitting here watching him break down and knowing that nothing I could possibly say would do him any good.

I can't help him.

Maybe the only thing I can do is make sure this doesn't happen to Wally.

"Thank you, Beast Boy," I say. "For everything."

And I stand up and go inside and walk down the hallway into Terra's bedroom. Wally's still on the couch, reading _Romeo and Juliet_. He hears me enter and looks up at me and smiles and I try to smile back.

I take a deep breath.

"Okay. Let's do this."

He raises an eyebrow at me.

"Do what?"

"The envelope," I reply. "Let's open it."

His eyes widen in... Shock? No, it's... Concern.

"Are you sure?" he asks, crossing the room to stand next to me. I nod. "Why'd you change your mind?"

"Beast Boy, he... It's Terra's room. He told me what happened and I... I can't let that happen. Not to us. Not to you."

"Jinx," Wally says slowly, resting a hand on my shoulder. "Don't make this decision because of me."

"I'm not. Give me the envelope."

Wally draws the envelope out of his pocket, and carefully hands it to me.

"You don't have to do this," he says.

"I want to."

And I rip the envelope open.

_I will not break the way you did,_

_You fell so hard_

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Author's Notes

I'm so sorry for such a long wait!

So, about this chapter. I stole my own scene. If anyone read _Diary of an Empty Bedroom_, a recent one-shot of mine, you might recognize the _Romeo and Juliet_ scene. I actually planned it for this story as really long time ago, but I also wanted to use it for _TDoaEB_, and since that one-shot ended up being written first, it stole the scene from this story. So then this story stole it back. Yeah. I love that scene. Maybe just because _Romeo and Juliet_ is one of my favorite things that I've ever read.

And about Beast Boy. I was sort of worried putting his entire story into this chapter was unnecessary, because you guys already know it. But Jinx doesn't know it, and it's really, really important that she finds out. The way I see. Jinx is kind of like "reverse Terra". She went from bad to good instead of good to bad, and things worked out for her better then they worked out for Terra, but they both betrayed their teams and they both redeemed themselves from the bad things that they did. And it all just goes back to the twisted parallelism I mentioned a couple chapters ago. The whole Jinx/Wally and Jade/Roy and Terra/Gar parallel is a pretty strong one to me.

And the cliffhanger. Sorry. I had to do it. I just couldn't resist. So you all have until the next chapter to find out her real name. There's also a little surprise coming up next chapter, which I was going to call The Sugar-Snap Pea, except peas aren't dessert. So I decided to call it The Baked Alaska. Even though that doesn't mean anything.

Review Responses:

Terra106: Thanks so much!

featherpen13: Yeah, the clock thing sorta made me hear minutes in my head for a while too. Thanks for the review!

Melodine: Thank you so much! I'm really glad to hear how much you liked the chapter. Yeah, I agree that Speedy should have been more responsible.

Lemony Anemone: Thanks so much! I'm glad everything made sense, I was kind of worried some of it was a little out there. I love Speedy and Cheshire, too!

Wolfkeeper989: Thank you so much!

MathGeek1o1: Thank you! I understand your concerns about Jinx and appreciate the comment. I think a lot of it is just my interpretation is a little different from most other people's.

Title and lyrics from _Because of You_ by Kelly Clarkson. Special thanks to my brother for editing!


	15. Stay With You

Stay With You

Olivia Anne Tudor.

Those are the words on the page.

It's just a name. Just three words. Doesn't mean a thing.

I burst into tears.

Wally holds me, moving at light speed. "It's okay," he whispers into my hair. "It doesn't matter, okay? It doesn't change anything, not about you or about us. It doesn't matter."

"I know," I say. "But..."

But what? But I can't handle knowing this? Pathetic. But I don't want to know? Really pathetic. But I'd rather just live my whole life and never face the fact that I might have a family? Really, really, unbearably pathetic.

But what?

I pull away from the hug, and read the birth certificate and medical records more carefully. It's all right. The birthday. The fact that I was born in California. The allergies: shellfish, penicillin, most nuts. The time I got pneumonia and had to be hospitalized when I was a baby, one of the few memories I have from before the asylum. It's all right.

This really is... Me.

Olivia Anne Tudor.

I can barely even look at it.

"Here," I say, handing the papers to Wally. "You can read it." He does, flipping through the records quickly. Then he looks at the birth certificate. His face falls.

"Tudor?" he asks quickly. He sounds shocked.

"I guess," I grumble.

He glances at me, then back at the paper, at me, at the paper, at me, all in about half a second. "You might want to sit down," he suggests. He seems nervous.

I raise an eyebrow at him, but sit down at the edge of the bed anyway. Terra's bed. Creepy.

"What?" I ask.

He sits down next to me. "When I called the mental hospital, I spoke with one of the nurses, Katherine Parkington. The one who..."

"You talked to Katie?" I ask. I don't need to hear the rest of his sentence. I know what he's going to say. The one who named me. "Katie still works there?" I smile, just a bit. I guess I miss Katie. Why shouldn't I? She's the closest thing I've ever had to family. Well... Until now.

"Yeah. And she told me that there was another girl there for a while who had the same powers as you."

My mouth just about falls open. "What?"

"Yeah. And, uh... Her name was... Audrey Tudor."

Oh my God.

"You mean I have a..."

I can't even bring myself to say it.

"A sister," Wally finishes for me. "I think you might."

With how much I've been crying lately, I almost expect myself to just burst into tears. But I don't. I don't... I don't feel sad. I feel...

Nothing.

Just nothing.

"Wait... She has the same powers as me?" I ask. He nods.

And the guilt sets in.

"Do you think it's, like... Genetic, or something?" I ask. "My powers?"

"Maybe," Wally answers. "Mine are."

"I thought it was the lightning."

"That triggered it," he says. "But Barry, Bart, and my aunt and three of my cousins have superspeed too. So it's also genetic. I got my powers all at once, when I got struck by lightening when I was eight. But my cousin, Lucas, his came in really gradually, and he was older, about ten. His sisters got theirs gradually as well, but they were more like five. Girls mature faster than boys, I guess? So I figure that the shock and physical from the lightening kick-started my powers, but I would have gotten them anyway."

"Oh." I say. This can't be genetic. That's just... I don't know. Scary. I don't know why.

"So..." Wally begins, "Can I call you it?"

"Call me what?"

"Olivia."

Oh.

"No, you can't." I say firmly, trying to hide the fact that I want to cry.

He nods, like he understands, but he still asks, "How come?"

"You just can't."

He nods again. "I get it."

"I..." I begin. I what? "I should go to bed. It's late." That's all I can come up with.

"Me too," Wally says. He kisses me lightly on the lips. "Good night. I love you, Jinx," he whispers, before running out the room in a blur of light.

Jinx.

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"Good morning, lovely ladies!"

I slowly open my eyes and prop myself up. I can see Wally standing in the door of Starfire's room with six artfully arranged plates. "What time is it?" I grumble.

"Seven," he answers. I groan and collapse back onto my pillow.

"I can't believe you're waking me up at seven. You were with me when we were up until like two."

"Well, Robin wants us to be ready to go to San Diego in an hour, so he asked me to wake you girls up, since some of can take a while to get ready," he replies.

"Kid Flash!" Argent exclaims, shooting up in the roll-away cot that she insisted on using, while the rest of us got stuck on stupid air mattresses or sleeping bags. "I resent that! Beauty is a difficult and time consuming skill!"

"Calm down, Silver. Don't shoot the messenger," Wally says. "Besides, y'all should be thanking me. I brought all y'all an international breakfast."

"Did you just say "y'all"?" I ask, sitting up again. "Twice?"

He laughs and grins sheepishly. "Well, trust me, Jinx, when you meet my family, the sheer power of their unimaginable southern-ness will make my occasional "y'alls" seem tame."

"Occasional?" Wonder Girl comments. "You couldn't shake your southern accent until you were thirteen."

"You had a southern accent?" I ask, pausing before adding, "Until three years ago?"

"No..."

"Yes, you did!" Wonder Girl exclaims, laughing. She turns to me and says, "It was adorable!"

"Donna, please don't call me adorable..." Wally says.

"But you are! You're like the little brother I never had!" Wonder Girl says. I guess her real name must be Donna.

"Yeah, well, I already have three older sisters, thank you very much," Wally says. "And you're only fourteen months older then me."

"That's not an "only", it's more then a year," she retorts, and then turns back to me and continues , "Oh, my gosh, Wally had such an adorable accent. He was always calling everybody "y'all" and he said that I was a "yankee" and..."

"That's because you are a yankee, Donna..."

"And sometimes he would say that..."

Wally makes a face of pretend annoyance. "Do all y'all want breakfast or not?"

"Breakfast, please!" Rosie says eagerly.

"Thank you, Rosie," Wally says. "For that you get yours first. For you, I have Belgian waffles, the real deal, made to perfection in... Well, Belgium. With chocolate sauce." Rosie squeals with excitement and starts eating.

"For Argent," Wally continues, "A classic English breakfast. Tea with milk and sugar, toast with lemon curd, and two eggs, sunny-side up."

"How did you know?" Argent asks, gazing happily at her food.

"For Starfire," Wally says, "a traditional Japanese breakfast. Miso soup, rice, Japanese pickles, and natto, because I figure if anyone in the world could possibly like natto, it would be you." Starfire looks delighted and she starts to eat.

"For Kole," Wally begins, "I have, say nothing, Donna, a traditional southern breakfast, including grits, and biscuits with gravy."

"Thanks, Kid Flash!" Kole says.

"You're welcome!" He says, before continuing, "For my annoying childhood friend Donna, a Turkish breakfast, with Turkish coffee, bread with feta cheese, hard boiled eggs, and about six different kinds of olives."

"Aww, you remembered my favorite!" Wonder Girl says happily. "I told you you're adorable." Wally laughs, as he sits down next to me.

"And, last but definitely not least," he says, "my wonderful girlfriend. J'ai le petit-déjeuner de la France, avec du chocolat, du brioche, et du croissant chocolat, pour toi, ma belle chèrie."

I raise an eyebrow. "What?"

He laughs, and translates, "Breakfast. Like France. Hot chocolate. Brioche. Chocolate croissant. For you. My beautiful dear."

"Is that seriously what you just said?" I ask, rolling my eyes.

"Well, there was a little more grammar involved when I said it in French, ma chèrie."

"What?"

He smiles flirtatiously. "That's the "my dear" part."

"Oh," I say quietly, taking a sip of hot chocolate. "Did you, um... Was I dreaming, or, uh, did you say a minute ago that you want me to meet your family?"

He blushes. "Well, yeah. I do. I was thinking maybe Thanksgiving? My family gets pretty into it. Or sooner, I guess. Or, you know, we can wait longer. Or you don't even have to if..."

I can feel myself blush too. I really hope no one notices. "Yeah. I'd love to."

He smiles. "Awesome."

I take another sip of hot chocolate. He must have gotten it from that café we were at in Paris, because it's pretty much perfect.

Funny how the only thing that went right that day was a drink.

"You gonna eat anything?" I ask.

"I already did," Wally replies. "Stopped in India while I was buying all the food. Getting a traditional Indian breakfast there at seven at night wasn't easy, but it was worth it. There's nothing like spicy food in the morning."

"Maybe to you," I say. Wally wraps an arm around me.

"So how are this morning?" he asks.

"Do you really have to ask?" I reply.

"Touché. Anything I can do to help?"

"No," I say quietly. I bite into the croissant. "This is good."

"The brioche is even better," Wally comments.

"The brioche doesn't have chocolate in it."

"I'll have it then," Wally says, taking the brioche off my plate and eating it in one bite

"Hey, that was mine! You already ate!" I snap.

"Running so much makes me hungry," he replies, shrugging. "Well, I should go. Robin'll be ticked if all y'all ain't ready to go by eight."

I snicker. "Did you just say "ain't"?"

"I told you!" Wonder Girl chimes in between sips of coffee. "His accent is adorable!"

Wally just shakes his head and smiles. "Have a nice breakfast, ladies!" he says. He kisses me on the cheek before zooming out of the room.

Argent's eyes are wide. "Oh my God, Jinx. Your boyfriend is _perfect_."

"Yeah," Kole adds, awe-struck. "I want one."

Argent smiles dreamily. "I want two."

I somehow manage to avoid rolling my eyes. "He's... Wally's amazing."

"You know, you've been really good for him," Wonder Girl tells me. "I mean, he's always been... Happy. But not like this. Not like when he's with you."

I take another sip of hot chocolate. What am I supposed to say to that?

"You want to know what I've noticed?" Argent asks.

"Doesn't matter if I want to, you're gonna tell me anyway," I reply sarcastically.

"Ha ha, very funny," she says, also sarcastically. "I've noticed you don't call him Kid Flash anymore."

"What?"

"You don't." She says, shrugging, like it's just... Trivial. "Not since we got back from Paris."

I start trying to count in my head. She's right. I think the last time I called Wally "Kid Flash"... Heck, the last time I even thought of Wally as "Kid Flash" was... Probably in Paris.

How haven't I realized that?

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I'm noticing a pattern.

Everyone else goes off on rescue missions and whatever and I sit in this hospital. This sucks. What am I doing here?

Nothing. I am doing nothing.

In the time I've been here today, I finished _Romeo and Juliet_ (which was fantastic), ate lunch from the hospital cafeteria (which wasn't), counted the burnt-out light bulbs (4), counted the time the letter "e" appears in the signs that I can see from this bench (82), messed up the settings on my camera and than spent half an hour trying to fix it (come to think of it, didn't I steal this camera? I should really do something about that.), mess up the settings on my cell phone (which I paid for, thanks), and drew some flowers on my hand (they came out really good. Maybe if I can get my stupid stolen camera to work I could take a freaking picture.).

Nothing is apparently a pretty productive thing to do.

Still. Pattern. Why should I be the one who sits here all the time? Am I really that bad of a superhero?

Or is it just 'cause Robin hates me?

"Jinx!" I hear someone shout. I turn my head. It's Lorena.

"Jinx, I'm so glad I found you! You are not gonna believe what happened to me!" she squeals, rushing up to me.

"What?" I ask.

"The Justice League came to see me!"

I stare at her. "The Justice League?" I repeat, shocked.

"Uh-huh!" she says. She sits down on the bench next to me. "The actual Justice League." She's not lying. She's way too excited about it to be lying.

"When?" I ask. More importantly, why, but I don't ask. It might be good that they came.

"This morning," she answers. "One of the doctors told them I'm the only person who was in the earthquake that can breathe underwater _and _above it. They wanted to come talk to me to see if they could out why." She sounds kind of pleased as she's explaining it. I guess it just exciting that the Justice League took the time for her.

It still doesn't seem all that good though. That they came to talk to her. Seems kind of... I don't know.

"Did they figure out why?" I ask. Lorena shrugs.

"I dunno," she replies. "They were saying all this stuff about, like, superpowers and how they work. You know, like, the science part. I didn't really get it." She giggles. "But I think it means I have superpowers!"

"Oh," I say. "That's..." Kind of not necessarily a good thing? "That's really cool."

Lorena smiles. "Thanks!" she says enthusiastically. "I mean, I hardly even believe it! Superheroes are just... They're awesome! And I can't believe I'm practically one of them!"

Or, you know. Practically a supervillian.

Maybe that's what bothers me about this. She's got no family, nowhere. And now she's got these powers. If she can't find anyone to... I don't know, help her or something...

God, she's just a kid. She's ten years old. Rosie is _nine_.

I was six.

Terra was thirteen.

My communicator rings. I take it out and answer it. It's Wonder Girl.

"Hey, Jinx. Robin's called a team meeting," she says. "Be at the tower in half an hour, okay?"

"Okay," I say. I shut the communicator off and stand up to leave.

"I've got to go," I say to Lorena.

"'Kay," she says. "Talk to you soon?"

I nod. Even though I can't really guarantee that.

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"We have a lot to discuss," Robin says solemnly as he begins the meeting. Everyone is gathered in the living room, clumped in sort of a circle around the room. I'm seated on the couch between Wally and Argent.

"First order of business," Robin continues, "I've spoken to the Justice League about the possibility that the HIVE Academy's chronic detonator caused the earthquake. They've investigated it." He stops, a serious, maybe kind of nervous expression on his face. Hard to tell when I can't see his eyes.

"And?" Aqualad asks. I wish he hadn't. I don't really want to know.

"They found the detonator and examined it." Robin replies. "And it had gone off. Triggering the earthquake and altering with the DNA of many of the people present."

"I knew it," Bumblebee says, with a bit of a chuckle. But not like it's funny. Like she doesn't want to cry.

Robin takes a breath. Not really a deep one. But he's bracing himself.

"And," Robin continues, "They've asked me to look into the reason why the detonator went off."

He's looking right at me.

I laugh. Like, actually laugh. "You have got to be kidding me," I say darkly. "Are you seriously accusing me of that?"

"I didn't say that," Robin replies. Darkly.

"No," I say. "But that's what you meant."

Robin gives me a long, hard glare. I wonder what his eyes are doing right now. It's creepy that I can't see them.

"You're right," he says. "I am."

Cyborg opens his mouth like he's about to say something. So do Bumblebee, Raven, and Starfire. But Wally's faster. He always is.

"Again?" he shouts. "Dude, what is it with you and picking on my girlfriend?"

"I'm not 'picking on her'," Robin snaps. "She used to work for the HIVE. It's a perfectly reasonable accusation."

"Yeah, that's real funny coming from you!" Wally snaps back, enraged. "Should I accuse you of being involved in every crime Red X commits?"

"What is he talking about?" Argent whispers to me. I shake my head.

"I dunno."

"Shut up, Wally," Robin whispers. His words seem heavy.

"No, I won't shut up!" Wally shouts. "I have had it with your attitude!"

"Oh, so what are you going to do, break my other arm too?" Robin snaps. "Now sit down and be quiet."

"No!"

"Kid Flash, I'm serious. Shut up or..."

"Both of you, shut up" Raven snaps. "Why don't you just sit down and talk about this like adults?"

Wally looks like he's about to say something, then changes his mind and sits down. Raven glares at him, them glares at Robin and says, "If your accusation is so reasonable, then explain it," she demands. There's no emotion in her voice. I don't know whose side she's on. If there are... Sides, or whatever.

"Okay," Robins says coolly. "The detonator went off only a few weeks after _she_ joined the team..."

"Robin, you know..." Cyborg begins.

"I'm not the only person who joined the team around then!" I interject, before he can finish.

"No, but you are the only one who used to be a supervillian," Robin replies.

"Yeah, used to be," I say quietly. "Not anymore."

"You should know," Wally adds angrily. Raven glares at him warningly.

"Fine, but what about Speedy leaving?" Robin asks.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I snap.

"I think you know the answer to that," Robin says.

"No, I don't."

"Just like you don't know why he left?"

My mouth opens but no words come out. I swallow, hard.

"What are you accusing me of?"

Robin stares at me, hard.

"I think," he begins slowly, "That you set the detonator off. And I think that Speedy found out, so you threatened him to make him quit the team. After all, you were both unaccounted for almost an hour in Paris." He throws a sharp look at Wally. "All three of you."

Wally bolts up. "Are you serious?" he shouts. "You don't know anything about what happened that night!"

"Wally, for the last time, sit down and stay out of this," Robin whispers sharply.

"Or what?" Wally shouts. "You and your buddy Slade will..."

"I said shut up! This doesn't have anything to do with my..."

"What, so you get off scot-free for being a criminal but she has to suffer?"

"I'm trying to do what's best for this team, Wally! And that means that I want her gone!"

There's a blur.

And a crashing noise.

And then they're both on the floor throwing punches.

Starfire rests her head in her hands and starts to cry.

Raven's eyes glow black, and so do Wally and Robin's costumes. She uses her powers to pink them both against the wall.

"Are you two seriously going to go through this again?" she snaps. "Robin, you already had to go to the hospital because of this little feud you have going on."

"Raven," Robin shouts, "let me down now or..."

"Or you'll kick her off the team too?" Wally demands. "Is that how it is with you? You think you can just get rid of anyone who doesn't always agree with you and do everything you say and..."

"Wally, forget it," I say, standing up. "He's right. This team is better off without me." I walk towards the door of the room. It opens automatically and I stare into the hallway.

I turn back. "But do you want to know what happened that night?" I say to Robin. "What really happened?" He doesn't answer. So I just go on. "He was blackmailing _me_. I told Wally that I thought Rosie was working for Blood and that she set the detonator off. Speedy overheard me, and said that if I didn't quit the team, he would talk to you and make it sound like Rosie and I were both working for Blood. That night, he was giving me a _deadline_. And when I asked him why he wanted me off the team so badly, he realized that it was because he's in love with _Cheshire_. He left to find her. And yeah, it is my fault he's gone. I did tell him to leave. To find her. I just didn't think he'd actually do it." Robin stares at me, dumbfounded.

So does everybody else.

Bumblebee. Aqualad. Mas. Menos.

"I'll get my stuff," I say, and the door whirls shut behind me. I can hear shouting, but I just walk right down the hall,

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The door to Starfire's room slides open, just as I'm shoving my clothes in my backpack. I look up. It's Cyborg. I look away, stare at my bag and try to look busy.

"What are you here to accuse me of?" I ask sharply.

"Jinx, you're not off the team," he says.

"Sure I am," I say. "You heard me. I quit."

"Jinx."

I look up. "What?"

Cyborg hold out a small, black rectangle. I squint at it.

"The remote for the detonator?" I ask. "Yup," Cyborg answers. "It was in the evidence room."

"There were four," I remind him. "It doesn't prove anything."

"Yeah, there were four," Cyborg says. "But they were linked together."

I stare at him. "What does that mean?"

"It means," he explains, "that if any of them used, the others would know." He pushes a few buttons and the remote glows green. "Green," he says. "Which means none of them, including this one, have been touched."

"Why didn't I know about this?" I ask slowly.

"Because no one knew," he says. "Not even Blood. I reprogrammed the remotes while I was at the school."

I feel my jaw drop. "When you slipped away at the Sadie Hawkins dance," I realize.

He grins. "It was the perfect opportunity. No one was guarding it. The staff was too busy dealing with Gizmo after he spiked the punch with nanobots." I almost laugh at the memory, but there's too big a lump in my throat.

"And Robin's letting me stay?" I ask.

"I explained it to him," Cyborg says. "You didn't use the remotes, Jinx."

"I could have set it off manually," I suggest sarcastically. "What, Robin doesn't think I can breath underwater too?"

"The Justice League fished it out of the water. Everything in a six mile radius was practically destroyed. If anyone had done it manually, they wouldn't be here."

"Wally has superspeed," I say dryly.

"Jinx," Cyborg says, "it was also thousands of feet underwater, rusting, completely buried. A wire on the inside was detached, but it's pretty clear it hadn't been tampered with or opened from the outside. It's hard evidence. No one set this thing off on purpose. Not Blood, not the Hive Five, not Rosie. And not you."

I bit my lip and stare straight ahead. I don't know what to say.

"So how'd it go off, then?" I ask. Cyborg shrugs. "It could have been anything. A minor earthquake, sudden pressure change. Maybe it got bumped by a fish. The thing was wicked unstable." He smirks. "And actually, that part's mostly your fault. You're a good artist, Jinx, but you can't design a weapon for crap."

"So, I'm still on the team?" I ask again.

"Yup," he answers, before adding, "And you should go talk to Kid Flash. He's..." He doesn't finish. He doesn't need to.

I nod, then say "Hey, Cyborg?"

"Yeah?"

"You were a lousy prom date," I say. "And I owe you for it. Big time."

He grins. "Don't sweat it."

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I find Wally in the living room. Everyone else is gone. He's standing by the window, staring out at the ocean through the glass.

"Hey," I say, as the door swishes shut. He looks up at me, nods, doesn't say anything. I go to the window and stand next to him.

He looks like he might cry. "I'm sorry. I blew up again."

'Least it wasn't in public this time," I say. He laughs, a little.

"I'm really sorry," he says again.

"It's okay," I tell him. "But... I'm not the one you should apologize to."

He nods. "Yeah. I know."

There's a lump in my throat and I swallow it back. "I'm sorry too," I say.

Wally looks at me, confused. "Why? You didn't do anything. I'm the one who..."

"I ruined your relationship with your best friend," I interrupt. "I did plenty."

"Jinx, you're my best friend," Wally says, looking out at the ocean. His breath fogs up the glass and he rubs it away, his hand blurry as he moves it in superspeed.

"And you're mine. But you know what I mean," I say.

"Yeah," he says solemnly.

I trace a line in the fog on the glass.

"Jinx, I get mad a lot," he says.

"I know," I reply.

"And I try to cover it up but sometimes..."

"I know."

"And it's probably unhealthy that I cover it up it's just that before I met you nobody ever listened and..."

"I know. Wally, I..."

"No, you don't know," Wally interrupts. "Because when stuff happens to you, you run. You don't wait it out like I do." It's not really a criticism. Just a statement.

A true one.

I do run. I ran away from the mental hospital. I ran away from the HIVE. When I can't really run I just distract myself, by drawing or reading or, well, used to be by crime sprees. I run away from my problems. I never really thought about that before.

It's scary how well he gets me sometimes.

"My parents are divorced," Wally continues.

"Yeah, you mentioned that on our first date."

"Well, I know I act like we're one big happy southern family, but its not really true. I was pretty much born to save their marriage. Didn't work. My mom dotes on my sisters but she never really knew what to do with a boy. My dad..." He scoffs and wipes at a tear. "I don't see him that much. When I do we fight. He and Mom can't be in the same without it turning into a shouting match."

I nod slowly and he goes on. "My sisters and I are close. And Bart, and my aunts and uncles and cousins. But something always feels missing. When I was a kid I used to wish Uncle Barry were my dad." He looks at me, and smiles a little.

"I never told anyone that," he says.

I nod again. I don't know what to say.

"Everybody always talks about the Teen Titans as being a family," Wally says. "And that's important to me. And Jinx... That stuff that Dick was saying... That you were saying... About the team being... Better off without... Without you..."

His words are heavy, uneven. Choky noises that he's forcing out between heavy sobs. "Do you really believe that?"

I swallow the lump in my throat.

"Sometimes," I admit. "Most of the time."

"'Cause it's not true," he tells me through his tears. "It's not..."

I nod.

"This thing with Dick..." he says. "It pisses me off that he can be like this to his father, because at least _his_ father gives a crap about him. And I know my life is so not even that bad, not compared to someone like you. You don't even _have_ a father. Maybe that's why I _had_ to find your birth certificate, Jinx. Because I want you to have a family. But mostly..." He stops, takes a deep, heavy breath to stop his tears.

"Mostly I want... I _need_ that family to be me."

He stares out the window, silent, the breaks down, collapsing into tears.

"I _need_ you," he tells me. His face crumbles as he cries so hard, so hard he can barely even get the words out. I want so bad to tell him I'm here for him, but I don't know how.

"You're good at cutting ties with people, Jinx," he manages. "And that scares the hell out of me. Because... Because if you ever leave me..."

He pounds his fist against the glass.

"You and me... I want this to be forever. I _need_ this to be forever. Somehow I just _know_ that you are the only person I will _ever_ love. And I am _never_ going to leave you. But if you..."

He beats his fist against the window.

And I reach out.

And take his hand in mine.

And I intertwine our fingers.

"I feel the same way," I tell him, looking straight into his eyes. "I know that I will never love anyone but you and I _swear_ no matter what happens I will never leave you."

He nods, the tears still falling out of his eyes. I reach up and gently wipe one away.

"I need you," I tell him.

I hold his other hand.

And we intertwine out fingers.

"This is forever," I whisper.

_Take what you need_

_Take what you need_

_From me_

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Notes

Hey, guys. As always, sorry for the long wait, and thanks for being so patient.

So about this chapter. Jinx finally found out her name. I know most people use Jen, but I wanted to be different. What's really important isn't her name, but her reaction to having a name. In a way, everything she really knows about herself is kind of having to be questioned. The "Baked Alaska" is Audrey, and Jinx's realization that her powers aren't random, they're genetic, which means she could pass them down. So not only does she have to question her past, she might have to question her future.

Most of the rest of this chapter is really about Wally. I'm taking some pretty big creative liberties with his background (like, uh, I don't think he was southern in the comics, But he should so be southern.) and family tree (like, uh, Bart being his nephew instead of his second cousin and Barry being his biological uncle instead of his uncle by marriage... Wow, I really screwed the comics over on this one.) But I do remember that in the comics, he really didn't get along with his Dad. And I think that's pretty important. He really just wants a family. And he's so scared of losing people he loves. Wally's got a lot of damage and this is the first time we really see it. And I like the Jinx is getting the chance to be the strong one.

The last line... I really debated who should say that. I even debated having them both say it at the same time, but that felt cheesy. And I think it's pretty meaningful that Jinx says it. Because committing is easy for Wally. But Jinx has never let herself get close to people before, and she's used to just leaving them behind whenever she want. I like that she's promising, for the first time in her life, not to do that.

Title and lyrics from _I'll Stay With You _by The Goo Goo Dolls.

Review Responses:

Melodine: Thanks! About Beast Boy, I think he wants to remember Terra, which is why he goes into her room at all. I think maybe he left the present because he's still hoping she'll come back. And thanks for being so supportive!

Little Miss Juliet: Now you know what name I picked. I was pretty excited to get to pick my own. And thanks for being so supportive!

Wolfkeeper989: Thank you!

Nequam-tenshi: I'm not sure how many of those questions I can answer yet. Jinx's parents... I can't tell really tell you what they're like. I'm not totally sure myself, but it is an idea I'm thinking about. I don't think they teenagers, but that's a really good idea. I think they wanted a normal child, and they got Jinx instead. She wasn't genetically modified, she was just born this way.

Popkov: Yeah, that Rose. I'm glad you like my story even though its first person. Thanks, I like Beast Boy too. I'm really happy with that scene. As for Speedy, no, he doesn't die.

titangirl787: Thank you!

hinatalover445: Thank you! No, it doesn't start with an L.

Freakycuteducky: -laugh- Yeah, that cliffhanger was kind of mean of me, sorry.

CGBabydoll: Thank you!

Serena Lockhart: Thanks so much! Thanks for the note about the ellipses, I never really thought about it that way. I tend to use them a lot because the story is present tense, so when Jinx is realizing something for the first time or trying to come to terms with something, it helps me show her thought process. But I can see where it might be overkill sometimes.

iRedeem: Thanks!

Fragile Plastic Flower: Thanks so much! About Speedy... I can't really tell you that yet

Special thanks to my brother for editing.


	16. Death and All His Friends

**Important:** Please be sure to read the author's notes for this chapter, there is some very important information in them. Also, apologies in advance for the length of this chapter and its author's notes.

Death and All His Friends

I can't sleep. It's like, four am, and I can't stupid sleep.

Every time I close my eyes I keep on picturing Starfire sobbing at the meeting yesterday. It's awful. God, this feud thing must be beating her up so bad and I feel so freaking awful about it.

I can't sleep in her room. It's freaking weird.

I grab my pillow and a blanket and carry them into the empty room. Terra's bedroom. This is creepy. Beyond creepy. But at least it's quiet. Alone.

I can't sleep on the bed. Her bed. I lie down on the couch but it feels too weird to close my eyes.

It's pretty in here, actually. The stars painted on the ceiling look real, winking down at me and daring to be wished on. I wonder if Terra ever made wishes on them. I wonder if they came true.

I'll bet a lot of bad stuff happened in this room.

I'll bet a lot of it was stuff she did.

How did she do it?

How did _I_ do it?

Is it different? What we did. Her and me.

Are we really any different?

It's funny, I've worked for Slade. I don't know what could possibly have been appealing to her about that. He was terrifying to work with. Sure, I never met him in person, but that just made it scarier. That he was impersonal like that. The whole time I had this nagging feeling that if we messed up he was going to kill us. Which, I guess, is kind of what happened to her, in a way. He must be different in person. Or at least. he must have been different to her.

I don't know.

I don't get it.

I did practically the same thing as her and I still don't get it. How was me helping to freeze my old team any different from her trying to kill hers?

Did she feel this bad about it?

And how could she do that to Beast Boy? He is so in love with her it's sick. Did she even know that?

I never knew. I never even noticed that See-More...

Maybe I did. I mean, I did dream about it that one night after the BOE battle. Maybe I noticed, a little. Maybe I knew.

But even if I did know, I didn't love him back.

I close my eyes, stare at the darkness.

Did she love him back?

The light hits my eyes, streaming in through the windows. I open my eyes groggily and glance at the clock. Eight. Four hours of sleep. Four freaking hours. I am so exhausted.

I go to Starfire's room to get my clothes. No one else is in the room, thankfully. I really don't want to talk to anyone I pull on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, go to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth and hair, then head to the living room. It's crowded with people, talking and eating breakfast. Great. Now I _have_ to talk to people.

"Jinx, I've been looking for you," Argent exclaims, rushing over to me. Case in point. "Where were you when I woke up? I needed you to tell me how wonderful I look!"

I glare at her. "You couldn't get someone else to do it?'

"Oh, goodness, no!" Argent exclaims, shocked. "Everyone else has _opinions_ about my clothing! You just compliment me no matter what because you think talking to me about fashion is pointless! That's why I love that you're so goth." She smiles sweetly.

"I'm not even going to bother responding to that," I grumble.

"Fine, don't," Argent huffs. "But please just tell me how nice I look in this brand new dress. It's _Chanel_." She pouts. Real mature.

"You look nice, Argent," I say dryly. "Cute shoes. I like that they match your necklace." She smiles, pleased, and I roll my eyes, grab a bagel off the counter, and sit down on the couch. Argent sits down next to me.

"Hey, have you seen Wally?" I ask her, digging through the stack of newspapers on the coffee table for the front page.

"He got sent on a coffee run with Mas and Menos," Argent explains.

"Right," I grumble. I should have known. The only three members of the team with superspeed get sent on a lot of coffee runs. Knowing Wally, they're in Rome right now. This could be a while.

The door opens and there's a bright, colorful blur and a huge gust of wind, blowing open the newspaper in my hands.

Never mind.

A couple of seconds later, pretty much everyone in the room has a cardboard coffee mug in their hands.

Oh. Including me. I set the paper down and take a sip. Hot chocolate.

Man, he's good.

There's another blur, and Wally's sitting on the couch next to me. "Are you sure you're not a mind-reader too?" I ask him sarcastically, gesturing at the mug. He laughs and wraps his arm around my shoulder.

"Nah," he says, with a cocky grin. "Girls are just really simple sometimes."

I roll my eyes. "Real nice."

"Oh, but not you," he adds, jokingly apologetic. "You're very complicated."

"Was that a compliment?"

"I don't know," he says. "Did it work?"

"Not really."

"Then no."

I roll my eyes again, then lean my head on his shoulder. "So, are you okay?" I ask. "After, you know..."

"Yeah, I'm great" Wally says, nodding. I raise my eyebrows, and he smiles weakly and adds, "Well, I'm better."

"Okay," I tell him. "And, look, if you need _anything_..."

"I know," he says. He smiles. "Thanks."

I pick the newspaper back up. I glance at the page it blew open to. It's a list of names.

Of people who are confirmed to have died because of the earthquake.

I don't want to read it. I start to put it down, but Wally stops me.

"Jinx, wait," he says. "Look at that."

I look at the name he's pointing at. Marquez.

"Is that..." I begin.

"Lorena's parents," Wally finishes. "Yeah. Juan and Cecily. She told me."

I press my lips together. "That's..." I don't know. "What do you think's going to happen to her?"

Wally shrugs. "Foster parents?" he suggests. "Maybe a relative?"

"If she can find one," I scoff. "She's been in that hospital for two weeks. Either they're all dead or they've all forgotten about her."

Or they don't want her 'cause she's a super... Well, technically she's not a hero, just a kid with powers. That she could use to be a hero. Or a villain. Or neither, who knows. Right now, she's a just an... Unaffiliated freak of genetics.

Why can't there be a nice blanket term for people with powers like there in is _X-Men_? You know. Mutants. Why can't they just call us mutants?

Okay. I have definitely seen that movie too many times.

"So, we don't have to go to San Diego today," Wally says. "Justice League gave us the day off. I'm thinking date. Maybe the Musee D'Orsay or the Eiffel Tower of the Arc de Triomphe..." He lists these Parisian landmarks rapid-fire, just saying any idea that pops into his hear. "Or there's this fantastic ice cream place in the Marais or.. Oh, I know. Hong Kong."

I raise an eyebrow. "What made you think of Hong Kong?"

"I don't know," he replies, shrugging. "I like Hong Kong."

"Tempting," I say sarcastically. "But why don't we save major foreign cities for actual vacations?"

He looks at me like this is a completely ridiculous concept. "Why?"

"So we can take our time and really appreciate what we're seeing?" I suggest. "You know, fine art doesn't really make sense at the speed of light. When you're at a museum, you have to go slow."

"What does slow mean?" Wally chuckles. I scoff and shake my head.

"So, movie?" he suggests. He grins at me mischievously. "Something with explosions? Lots and lots of explosions?"

I narrow my eyes at him. "You are never going to let that go, are you?"

"Not that you want me to," he whispers flirtatiously, his lips almost touching my ear.

"You have a really big ego." I grumble. "Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Yes," he says. "Frequently. Also that I'm cocky, romantic, suave... I like that one. The tabloids also say that I'm gorgeous, a heartthrob, a Romeo...:

"That you're proving my point?' I interject.

"And that I have the world's most amazing girlfriend." He finishes.

I roll my eyes, but I'm smiling. "You are so cheesy sometimes." I mumble. I'm blushing. I can feel it.

He runs his hand through my hair, twirling the strands through his fingers. It feels nice. Just being with him.

"Just nothing with subtitles this time," I murmur. He laughs.

"Jinx! Kid Flash" I hear, as soon as Wally and I walk into the movie theatre. The next thing I know I can't breathe.

Oh, God.

"Hi, Starfire," I gasp. "Could you, maybe, you know... Let go of me?"

"Oh, my sincerest apologies!" she exclaims, letting me go.

"So what brings you here?" Wally asks with a friendly smile.

"Oh, Robin and I are on the date," she explains sweetly. Well, sort of sweetly. Also sort of nervously. She gestures towards Robin, standing in the ticket line, glancing at us over his shoulder. He's in civilian clothes. It's the first time I've ever seen him out of costume. He usually wears it even when everyone else is just in regular clothes. I still can't see his eyes, though. He's wearing sunglasses.

Wally's face falls. I don't know if Starfire sees it. But I do.

"Us too," I comment. "Funny how we keep meeting up on dates." I guess being the only two couples on the Teen Titans has put us in some kind of dating... Synchronization.

That, or I really _am _bad luck.

"Well, uh, see you guys later, then," I say. Starfire nods.

"Yes, we shall see each other soon," she replies. She floats over to stand next to Robin, places a hand on his shoulder and whispers something in his ear.

I turn to Wally. "We can leave if you want."

He stares at Robin for a second before looking at me. "Yeah. That'd be good."

We walk to the door. I reach out and start to open it.

"Wally, wait!" I hear. Wally turns around. So do I.

It's Robin.

He and Starfire walk to the door, hand in hand.

"Wally, look, we..." Robin begins, breathing out heavily. "We need to talk about this."

Wally nods. He reaches for my hand, curling his fingers around mine. "Yeah," he says quietly. "We do."

"So," Robin continues, "Do you... Do you want to go somewhere and talk? There's a coffee shop a few blocks from here. It's quiet. We could just go sit there."

Wally looks from Robin to me, then back to Robin. "The four of us," he says. I can see him swallowing. Hear that it's hard for him to get his words out.

Robin nods, and the four of us walk out the door, slowly.

"So..." Robin says, perching on the edge of a chocolate brown leather couch.

It's a nice coffee shop, warm with wood floors and deep red walls. There's a big stone fireplace in the corner, and even though its empty, the smell of burning wood mixes slightly with the smell of coffee. Wally and I sit on a one small leather couch, opposite the one where Robin and Starfire sit.

"So..." Wally repeats. He sets his coffee mug down on the table, so quickly that the cappuccino sloshes out of the mug and leaves a brown stain on the wood. He doesn't look at Robin. Robin doesn't look at him.

I stare into my mug of hot chocolate, the steam drifting towards my face. I don't know if I should say something. Maybe it would be really stupid to say something. I mean, this is their business. I have to let them work this out.

Still, Robin has spent the past few weeks threatening me and treating me like dirt. It's my business too. Isn't it?

Wally looks up, stares at Robin for maybe half a second, then tears his eyes away and stares at his hands, clenched tightly in his lap.

This is their business.

Starfire's knee brushes up against Robin's. His hand is resting on top of hers. I wonder if they even notice. It's so natural for them. Sometimes they seem to blend into each other, like they're two halves instead of two separate people.

"So, we should talk," Robin says finally.

"Yeah," Wally agrees. He doesn't look up. "I promise I won't hit you this time," he mumbles. I think it's supposed to be a joke. It's a sort of pathetic attempt at one.

"Same here," Robin replies. Starfire stirs at her latte with her pinky finger.

"Look," Robin says with a sigh. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have let this go on. I've been extremely irresponsible by allowing this disagreement to interfere with our job, and I'm sorry that I didn't stop it before it become physical."

Wally looks about ready to hit something. "You've got to be kidding me," he says.

"What?" Robin asks.

Wally looks up at him. "That's what you think this is about?" he exclaims. "About our stupid fistfight?"

"Yes, Kid Flash, that's..."

"Okay, I'm glad to know that you're 'taking reasonability for your actions' or whatever," Wally says mockingly. "And yeah, I'm sorry I broke your arm. But I'm not mad at you because you fought me..."

"I know," Robin interrupts. "Kid Flash, I..."

"You don't know!" Wally exclaims. He's practically shouting. " You have no idea how I feel! You've never taken the time to! You just assume things about people without..."

"Kid Flash..."

"I have a name, Dick!" Wally snaps, jumping to his feet. "And that's exactly what I'm talking about! Have you ever for a second considered that I'm... That _we're_ not just superheroes? That we're people? All of us are..."

"Bruce is cutting me off."

Wally stops mid-sentence. His eyes go wide as he drops back onto the couch. "What?"

"He told me the day before we went to Paris. Right before you and I... It was the first time I saw him or talked to him in years and..." He trails off. Starfire looks at him, concerned.

"Anyway," Robin continues, turning back to Wally. "I told him that Diana told me that he's looking for a new Robin. I told him I didn't care what he did. And he said that since I clearly no longer want anything to do with him, he will no longer be supporting me financially."

Wally's face softens. "Oh, God, Dick, I didn't..." He shakes his head. "Look, if this was about money you know you could asked me. I mean, my family's loaded. I'd be happy to pitch in."

Robin shakes his head. "No, Wally, it's not about the money. Beast Boy's adoptive parents said they could help us out and Starfire's got a whole planet to help support the team so... We can still make ends meet. Financially, I will be fine."

Wally nods. "But emotionally..."

"Bruce said we can talk about emancipation," Robin says. "So, emotionally..."

"Not so much," Wally finished for him.

"Yeah," Robin sighs. Starfire squeezes his hand lightly. "Wally, you've known me for five years. You know that I can be..."

"A dick?" Wally suggests, with a slight smile.

Robin laughs sheepishly. "You always said that's why they named me that. Anyway, I've just been a mess since this whole San Diego thing started. I guess just knowing that he's here just... Made me crazy. And... I don't know. You were here. You were easy to take it out on." He looks at me. "Both of you. And I'm really sorry about that."

I nod, a little, but I can't look him in the eye. Can't look anyone in the eye. Wally reaches out and takes my hand in his, to comfort me. I feel awful about that. Right now, he shouldn't have to be strong.

"I'm sorry too," Wally says. "I've been a total jerk and let my anger get the best of me and..."

"Wally, you don't need to be sorry," Robin says. "This is completely my fault and..."

"No, I do," Wally replies. "I got really mad and I didn't think about how this whole thing must be making you feel."

"And I haven't been thinking about anyone but myself" Robin says. "So we're pretty much even."

Wally nods. "And I really am sorry I broke your arm."

"Nothing physical therapy won't fix," Robin says. He and Wally both laugh, but it's forced.

So we're still friends?" Robin asks.

"Of course," Wally answers.

"Good," Robin says quietly. "Because I really don't want to lose you, too."

"Dude, we've been friends for five years," Wally replies. "One fight's not going change that."

Robin nods, but doesn't look at him. He stares at the table like he's thinking about something else. Then he looks up at me.

"I owe you an even bigger apology," he says. "I said some terrible things to you and about you and I'm really sorry."

"Okay," I say dryly. "And that's supposed to make me feel better?" I'm not sure when I started feeling this mad.

"Jinx..." Wally warns. I narrow my eyes at him, daring him to finish that sentence. He doesn't.

"No, she's right," Robin says to him. He looks at me. "I think you deserve to know why I acted the way I did."

"Yeah," I say. "I do deserve to."

Robin gently pulls his hand from Starfire's grasp and presses it against his chin, like he's thinking, then lays it on her knee.

"I don't know if you know the truth about what happened last year," he says finally. "With Terra."

"I do," I reply. "Beast Boy told me."

Robin nods. "What happened was difficult for all of us," he says. He selects each word slowly. Carefully. "Beast Boy especially. And none of us want to see him..." His gaze falls on Wally, then moves to Starfire, then back to me. "Or anyone we care about go through that. Not again."

Wally interlocks his fingers with mine. Protecting me. Which he shouldn't have to be doing right now. "So that's what this was about," he murmurs.

"Sort of," Robin replies. "Almost." He lets out a long, heavy breathe.

"Robin..." Starfire whispers. She looks concerned.

He looks at her, reaches up and brushes a lock of hair out of her eyes, his hand lingering on the side of her face. It's gorgeous. Something for a painting. "It's okay," he whispers back. "I'll be okay."

He looks back at me. "About a year ago, you, Gizmo and Mammoth fought us for the first time. Gizmo mentioned you were working for Slade. That incident cause me to become..." he stops, abruptly, then picks up again. "Obsessed, with finding out who Slade is. I don't know why. Maybe it had to do with how close you came to defeating us. Maybe I was trying to prove myself as a hero in my own right. Maybe not. I don't know." Starfire moves closer to him, her arm resting against his.

"That obsession caused me to do things I am not proud of," Robin continues. "I assumed another identity and stole valuable technology to try to trick Slade into trusting me. It didn't work."

I suddenly remember what he and Wally said the day of the earthquake.

_Well she was one._

_So were you._

"So you were a villain," I say.

"I was two," Robin tells me. "A while later, Slade forced me to work for him. He threatened to kill the rest of the team if I didn't."

What?

The room seems to go still. Starfire has tears in her eyes. Wally just looks at me. I wish I could bring myself to look back.

"He forced you," I say, after what seems like way, way too long. "You didn't have a choice. That doesn't count."

"I stole from my father," Robin states. "I attacked my teammates. I almost killed..." He swallows, hard, and looks at the floor. "I could have fought back harder. I had a choice. There's always a choice. It counts."

He looks at me again. "Anyway, when you joined the team, it just seemed too sudden. It scared me. With Terra, I didn't see the signs. And since I'd been in the same place she was, I didn't understand how I didn't see the signs. I still don't. I'm not about to take that chance again."

"And I'm not about to betray you," I say.

Robins presses his lips together. "I know that," he replies. "Now. And I'm sorry I didn't trust you before you."

"Okay," I reply. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you either."

He nods. "What I said last night... You're not a threat. And quitting like you did... I regret making you feel like you had to do that. But doing that proved that you're willing to put the good of the team before yourself. That's what makes a good leader."

"Thanks," I murmur.

"And it proved that you are willing to put the good of your _friends_ before yourself," Starfire adds. "That is what makes a good hero."

I feel like my throat just closed up. I don't know what to say. I can't say anything. Wally squeezes my hand. I look at him, and he smiles.

"Friends?" Robin asks. He holds his hand out to me.

I shake it.

"Friends."

Robin grins. "And just in case I didn't say it before, it's good to have you on the team."

Robin's called another team meeting, so the four of us head back to the tower. Just as Robin is about to open the door, he turns to me, his hand poised on the knob.

"One more thing," he says. I nod. Brace myself.

"What you said last night..." he begins cautiously. "About Rosie working for Blood..."

"It's just a theory," I say. "Not a very good one."

"Actually, it's a very good one," Robin replies. "Which is why we need to take it seriously."

"I don't know who she's working for," I tell him. I can tell I sound really defensive. "Maybe Blood. Maybe someone else. Maybe no one."

"It seems to me like the crimes she committed were mostly petty thefts," Robin says. "I checked on Blood last night. He's still in solitary confinement, no criminal activity, no strange behavior. But it is possible I missed something, and even if I didn't, she could be working for someone else."

"Honestly, I don't think _she_ knows," Wally comments. "I think she's just a kid who got mixed up in something way bigger than her."

"I believe she is harmless," Starfire adds. "I certainly do not believe that she is purposely attempting to deceive us."

"And I hope you're right about that," Robin replies. "But I think we have to be careful,"

"So," Wally begins cautiously, "what do you think her deal is?"

I think her deal is that she needs help.

"I don't know," Robin replies. "But I'm worried she's dangerous. Maybe she shouldn't stay here. We don't know what she's done."

So, what, we just kick her out? All that'll do is...

Is make her more dangerous.

At least, to herself.

"Maybe that doesn't matter," I chime in. All three of them look at me kind of funny.

"I mean, it matters," I continue. "But, maybe what's important isn't what she's done but..." I bite my bottom lip, trying to get this out. I have to say this. For Rosie's sake.

"But making sure she doesn't do it again."

Robin raises an eyebrow, like he's not sure what I'm saying. I think he thinks I'm crazy. I probably am. Why am I doing this, anyway? I just earned the guy's trust and now I'm challenging him? Why am I being so stupid?

I have to force myself to continue. "I just mean, maybe it doesn't matter who she knows or what crimes she's committed. She's a kid. She deserves to be given a chance."

Why am I saying this?

I have to say this.

"She's not irredeemable."

Robin looks at me for what seems like a long, long time.

"You're right," he says. It almost seems like he isn't really talking to me. "She should stay."

He opens the door and goes inside. Starfire follows him.

"Jinx..." Wally begins, taking my hand.

"Don't," I say, pulling away. I rush inside.

I don't know what my problem is.

He was just going to say something nice. Of course he was. That's just who how he is. That's just how he is with _me_.

I don't know why I can't handle that right now.

Robin had to call the Justice League about something, so everyone else is waiting for him. The team sits in a rough circle in the living room, some people on the couch, some people in chairs, a few people standing. I'm sitting in a chair between Argent, who is talking my ear off, and Wally. I can feel him looking at me but I can't bring myself to look back. I stare out the window. It's mid-afternoon and bright, the sunlight bouncing off the glass before it lands on the walls.

"You would not believe how gorgeous the dresses I saw today were," Argent tells. I nod, absentmindedly. Maybe if I pretend to care she'll shut up. "I bought six! A Betsey Johnson, a Chanel, a Vera Wang..." She sighs dreamily as she lists them.

"Oh, I almost forget," she says, interrupting her own train of thought. "I got one for you! Oh, you're going to love it, it's Dior!"

"Is that good?" I ask. She gapes at me.

Wonder Girl says something to Wally, and out of the corner of my eye I can see him turn to look at her. I just want to reach out, hold his hand. I try to but I can't make myself move.

I glance at Rosie, seated next to Wonder Girl and chatting with her and Wally. She says something, and Wally reaches out and messes up her hair, moving so fast that it looks like a little white tornado wrecking havoc on top of her head. She giggles, and sticks her tongue out at him. He sticks his tongue out right back.

God, that's adorable. He is so good with kids. I can see his eyes twinkle as he laughs. God, I wish I could say something to him right now.

I don't know why I can't.

"Yes!" Argent exclaims. Oh, right. I'm talking to her. "Of course it's good! It's _Dior_!" I nod, but I can't remember what the question was anymore.

From a few seats away, Hotspot snorts. "You just told her that," he says. Oh. Yeah. I guess she did. "And it's a freaking brand name," he continues. "Get over it."

Argent snorts. "Well, it's not like I'd expect _you_ to know anything about what it takes to look this gorgeous," she says, flipping a strand of hair behind her ear. "Or about anything at all, actually, considering how you dress."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Hotspot asks.

"Well, in my experience," Argent begins, a nasty look on her face, "the fashion impaired tend to much less intelligent than the fashion-forward."

"You don't actually believe that, do you?" I interrupt. Argent shushes me with her hand.

"And, _you_," Argent continues to Hotspot, who's glaring at her darkly. "Well, where exactly did you get your costume? Wal-Mart?"

"I'm not dumb. And I made it," he answers, deadpan, still glaring.

"Ah, you silly boy," Argent giggles. "You should have learned to sew first. Or did you do it in the dark, because you couldn't afford light aside from your head, which, by the way, looks _ridiculous_ with that outfit."

Hotspot stands up with so much force that his chair clatters to the floor. "Are you calling me poor?" he yells. Everyone stops talking and stares at him. The sudden silence feels heavy, tense, like everyone's scared of what will happen if another fight breaks out.

I can feel Wally's eyes on me. Again.

"It doesn't have anything to do with how much money you have," Argent says coolly. "It has to do with how you _use_ that money. And obviously you don't use it well."

"Well, have you ever considered that spending all your money on designer crap makes you a stuck-up, materialistic..."

Argent jumps to her feet. "It is not crap and I am not materialistic! And you're..."

She doesn't finish.

Because Hotspot grabs her by the shoulders and pulls her towards him.

And kisses her. Full on the lips.

Argent's eyes go wide. Way, way wide. She shoves Hotspot away from her. "You... You freak!" she exclaims. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. "Oh, God, I have to... To get this taste off my mouth..."

She glances around the room, then grabs Aqualad by the scruff of his neck, pulls him to his feet, and kisses him.

A few people gasp. My jaw drops. Wally starts to smile, then clamps a hand over his mouth to hide it, like he thinks it would be out of place. "What just happened?" I hear Beast Boy whisper. No one answers him.

Hotspot looks at her, confused. "But I thought... I mean... You" Hotspot stutters.

"What, did you think I wanted you to do that?" Argent asks. "I can't stand you! You're always fighting with me!"

"I was..." Hotspot begins. "I was only arguing with you because I... I like you... I thought you liked me too."

Argent stares at him for a second, then lets out a twittering little laugh. "Are you seven? Did you honestly think I like you?"

Hotspot sinks onto the couch. "I just..." He doesn't finish.

Argent turns to Aqualad, who is standing, staring at her, looking like this has completely blown a fuse in his brain. It probably has.

"So... You're a good kisser," Argent begins, with a flirtatious smile. "Do you want to... See a movie sometime?"

Aqualad opens his mouth, closes it, opens it again, then just gives up and nods. Argent beams.

"Great," she says, sweetly. Hotspot slumps further into the couch cushions.

The door opens and Robin enters the room. The room is silent as he goes to his seat. Wally's eyes lock with mine. "Oh. My. God." I mouth. He grins and shakes his head, still trying to suppress a laugh.

"Well, first order of business," Robin says, addressing the room, "the Justice League and the police have officially decided they no longer need help on this case. You're all free to go leave tomorrow morning." I notice Starfire, sitting next to him, gently grip onto his hand.

There's a mix of reactions. Mostly nods, a couple of people talking. Somebody groans. I think it might be Hotspot.

"I feel we should discuss the past few days," Robin says. "The case," he specifies. Like he doesn't want to talk about, well... Me.

"But first," he continues, "the Justice League is discussing forming a team in Houston. I'd like to propose a Titans South."

"That's a good idea," Wonder Girl tells him. "We're not spread as thin as the JLA right now."

"And it will be good to have teams in four regions," Bumblebee adds.

"Exactly my thoughts," Robin says, before asking "Would anyone be interested?"

"Thunder and I could do it," Lightning says. Thunder nods in agreement,

"How 'bout it, Gnaark?" Kole asks her friend. "Think we could live in the real world?" Gnarrk grunts, and Kole giggles before saying, "That's a yes."

"Great," Robin says. "Would any of you interested in leading?"

Kole shakes her head vigorously. "I'm thirteen," she explains with a nervous smile.

"Thunder? Lightning?" Robin asks. They look at each for a second, then look back and shake they're heads.

"I'm not sure I'd be good at that," Thunder says.

"Neither am I," Lighting adds. "When I led the two of us, all we did was set things on fire. I'm not very organized."

Robin consider this.. "Well," he begins, "we do need someone who would be willing to..."

"I'll do it."

Hotspot.

There are a few hushed whispers across the room. After a moment, Robin speaks. "Alright," he says. 'If you feel you want to leave the Titans North for this position than I don't have a problem with that. As long as it's alright with them." He seems confused by the whispering. I realize he has no idea what just happened.

"It's fine with me," Wally answers quickly.

"Yeah, I don't have a problem with it," I add, running a hand through my hair.

. "Me neither?" Wonder Girl, making it sound like a question. Jericho just nods, his eyebrows knotted together.

"Oh, God," Argent whispers. "This is because of me."

"I want to lead," Hotspot say, looking at Robin, but talking to her. "But yeah. It is."

Argent face crumples. She puts her head in her hands.

Hotspot's face is a blank slate. Like he doesn't even care.

I can't believe him. How can he just sit there and watch her cry? I want to scream at him. _This is going to eat you up inside. You are going to hate yourself for this._

Isn't he?

I clench my hands against the edge of the chair, so hard they're shaking. Wally sees, looks at my eyes, but suddenly I can't look at him again.

"In that case," Robin continues, still confused, "if there are no further comments about the new team, I think we should discuss the earthquake."

And not, well, everything that happened yesterday. But I don't say that.

"Does the JLA know what's going to happen to the victims of the genetic

altering?" Wonder Girl asks.

Robin nods. "The state government has approved Aquaman's request to build an underwater city," he says. "They'll be moving there."

What?

"What about Lorena Marquez?" I hear myself ask. I sound way more confident than I'm feeling.

"I'm sorry, who?" Robin asks.

"The girl who can breathe in and out of water," I explain.

"Oh, her," Robin says. "Her doctor's have concluded that she can only breathe air for short periods of time. She'll be going to the new city as well."

"Her parents died," I say. "Is she just supposed to go alone?"

Robin presses his lips together, thinking. "Yes," he says finally. "Maybe foster care, but she needs to live in the water. It might not be possible yet."

I don't hear the rest of the conversation. I can't focus on it. Voices buzz around the room, but the words just seem like empty noise.

She's ten. She's freaking ten. And she has these powers that she doesn't know how to use. What if she can only breathe underwater for short periods of time, too? What if she has more powers she hasn't discovered yet?

We can't just leave her alone like this. If someone doesn't help her, tell her that having these powers doesn't make her bad, that _surviving_ when most of the people she knew are dead doesn't make her...

If someone doesn't do something to help her, she is going to _rot_ from the outside in.

There has to be another option.

My hand brushes up against the communicator in my pocket.

Maybe there is.

Okay. I can do this. She doesn't hate me because of what happened in Paris. She doesn't.

The second the meeting is over, I go up to her.

"Bumblebee, hey," I begin. "Could, I, um... Could I talk to you in the hall?"

She doesn't hate me. Of course not. I mean, we had a perfectly peaceful conversation the day we got back from Paris and...

Well but that was before she knew...

She looks at me. Her eyes aren't hard, aren't sharp as they stare down my face. They aren't icy, aren't hail. But they're cold. They're like fever chills, when you know you can feel your face on fire but you're shivering anyway.

Oh, she totally hates me.

"Sure," she says grimly. The doors slide open, and she and I step into the hall. In the corner of my eyes, I can see Wally follow us through the door.

Sweet of him. Doesn't make this any easier though.

Bumblebee and I find a quiet spot in the hall, away from the common room. Wally stops just around the corner from us, so I can see him but Bumblebee can't.

"What do you want, Jinx?" Bumblebee asks, her voice tight, eyes narrow.

"Two things," I say. "First..." I take a deep breath, trying to steady the woozy feeling in my head. "I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry."

She lets out a short, almost mocking breath. "Yeah. That really helps," she says.

"Bumblebee, I know it doesn't help," I say. I think I sound desperate. That's pathetic. "I know it doesn't change anything. I can say I'm sorry all I want, but it doesn't change the fact that..." I shake my head, can't bring myself to finish. That Speedy is gone. That _See-More_ is gone. That she has to watch this happen. That _they_ have to watch this happen. Can't say it. Any of it.

"I know it doesn't help," I repeat. "Trust me. I know."

She presses her lips together. "What's the second thing?"

I take another deep breath. I can say this. I have to say this.

"Don't let Lorena Marquez go to the underwater city."

She looks at me, puzzled.

"What does that have to do with me?" she asks.

"Not you, really," I answer, my voice shaky, hands trembling. I clutch them into fists, trying to stop her from seeing my nerves. "But... Your team. Aqualad. He could help her learn how to use her powers."

She doesn't say anything. I swallow hard and force myself to keep going.

"I think she could really use a mentor," I say. "I don't want her to... If she goes in that city on her own... She might not know what to do. She might need to steal or... Or worse.. Just to survive."

"Look, I know its a lot to ask," I continue. "Especially after all the pain I've caused for you guys, but..." I shut my eyes, can't watch what's happening.

"But take her in," I say. "Don't let her become a villain."

I force myself to look at her. Bumblebee's expression is softer. Warmer, maybe. Almost.

She stares at me for a long, long time. I have to struggle just to keep from screaming, from letting how I feel collapse in on me.

Finally, she opens her mouth to speak.

"Okay. We'll do it."

She leaves, and I hear the door to the main room slide shut behind her. Then I hear voices. Her, Aqualad, Mas, Menos.

They're really going to do this.

I slump to the floor, my back against the wall, my legs to my chest, and bury my face in my hands. I don't want to cry. Why do I feel like crying?

I hear a rush of air, and feel Wally wrap his arms around me, pulling me close to him.

"Hey," he says gently.

"Hey," I whisper back. The word comes out uneven, tripping over the lump in my throat.

Wally starts to stroke my hair softly with one hand, his other hand warm against my back. "I heard what just happened," he says.

"I saw you," I reply.

"That was really brave," he tells me. "And so was what you said about Rosie. Really, really brave."

And suddenly I can't hold it back anymore. I start to cry, in heavy, uneven sobs.

"It's okay," Wally whispers. "It's gonna be okay."

"I just..." I begin. Or try to. I feel like I'm choking on my tears.

"I just don't want them to end up like me."

"Jinx..." Wally murmurs, soothing. He takes one hand and places it under my chin, tilts my head up so I'm looking him in the eye.

"Jinx, what you just did for them," he says, "was incredible. They would be lucky to end up like you."

_No, I don't want to battle from beginning to end_

_I don't want to cycle or recycle revenge_

_I don't want to follow death and all of his friends_

Author's Notes

**Important: **Even if you never read my author's notes, please read at least the second section of the notes for this chapter.

(second not counting this one. The first section is my thoughts about the chapter, the second section is the important stuff, then the third section is review responses.)

I have to say some really important things about this story and what comes next. I'm sorry my notes are so long for this chapter, but I have to ask you guys some really important questions..

There's a lot in this chapter, but I think it's all really necessary stuff. I worry the chapter is too disjointed, but it's all so important, and it all had to happen, and it all had to happen now.

So, I guess I'll start with the first big event of this chapter, which is the confrontation between Dick and Wally. I just want to say that I love Dick so freaking much right now. He is one of my absolute favorite characters to write. I don't know why. But he's such a great character. He has so many pent-up emotions. I think it makes him a little crazy. And he's so desperate to always do the right thing, and I think the more he tries to, the crazier he gets, and the crazier he gets, the harder it is for him to do the right thing. And there's so much contrast with him, between serious, calculating Robin and sweet, sensitive Dick. I feel like he has two completely different tones when it comes to dialogue: the one he uses to address the team, and the one he uses when he's being more himself and less his mask. I also love that he and Star can't be in the same room for more than a second with touching each other. I think it's cute. I love their relationship.

So, um, I really hope that confrontation wasn't anti-climactic. It's really not the climax of the plotline in my mind, that's the fight in the last chapter. (While the climax of the story itself, at least the way I see it, is chapter 12.) This conversation is really just the fallout. It's Dick and Wally patching up their relationship. (I like the Dick, Wally, and Donna friendship, by the way. I figure instead of the "fab five" of the comics, they're sort of the "fab three".)

But what's really important about that scene is that it's the first time Jinx really understands that Robin is human. He's not some teen superhero holy grail, he's a human being. He's made mistakes. He's not different from her.

And the Batman stuff... That was so sad to write. And I just want to say that I saw _The Dark Knight _for the first time last night (took me long enough, right?), and oh my gosh, Dick is so totally his father's son. That's all.

The Hotspot/Argent/Aqualad stuff... There will be a point. I promise. There's also a crazy story behind it. I thought the stuff with Argent and Hotspot hating each other's guts was really fun, and I thought it would be a funny twist if they actually had feelings for each other. I was originally (and this was, like, probably over a year ago by now) going to have them get into a heated argument, and then they would just look at each other funny and all of a sudden start making out and become a couple. I told this to my friend, who goes by Samantha Berii here, who is the biggest Argent fan I know. Basically, her response was: "No, Elle, you aren't allowed to do that. Put Argent with Aqualad." and I was just kind of like, "Uh... Sure. Why not?" Originally, I was going to play it for laughs. But then I realized how well it works as another parallel relationship.

So, Rosie and Lorena stuff. That was hard to get right. But it's so, so important. Saving Rosie and Lorena really matters to Jinx. And I think that's pretty heroic.

And the part with Jinx and Wally at the very end... I really like that part. Jinx understands that doing bad things doesn't make someone a bad person. But I don't think she always completely understands that that applies to _her_ too. But Wally does. And he can remind her. I think the reason I love their relationship so much is that even when they can't stand themselves, they see the good in each other.

And, humorous side note, Lorena is ten. Mas and Menos are twelve. All three of them are relentlessly energetic and able to speak rapid-fire Spanish. Bumblebee and Aqualad are _doomed_.

Title and lyrics from _Death and All His Friends_ by Coldplay.

**This is the important part. Please read this.**

The way I currently have this story laid out in my head, there are only two chapters left. That's not a definite, but it's the best estimate I have right now.

I'd like to write more on-going _Teen Titans_ stories after this one, and I'd really like to get you guys' opinions on what you'd like to read from me.

The possibilities I've come up with are:

1. A direct sequel to _Breaking Free_. (I actually have enough ideas for at least two more.)

2. A "spin-off" of _Breaking Free_. Possibilities for this include: A story following Speedy's relationship with Cheshire, a story about Lorena as she's being trained by the Titans East (which would be complete fluff, I wouldn't do this without doing a serious story at the same time. I am _thisclose_ to actually considering _The Incredible Escapades of Lorena Marquez and the Titans East_ as a legitimate title for this one.), or a story set a few years out that follows Young Justice (which would be much better than the earlier version I posted a while ago.) (YJ is my brother's vote, by the way.)

3. Something completely different? Possibilities for this include but are not limited to: I have a vague idea for an AU, and I could toy around with an extension of my recent one-shot _Bastille My Heart_. I also have this one idea involving Robin that I've been kicking around in my head pretty seriously for a couple of weeks. It is a crazy, crazy idea. It is either the worst idea I've ever had, or one of the best. I'm not sure which.

Please tell me, in the comment for this story and/or a pm, which idea(s) you would be interested in reading. Pick as many as you like, as I would definitely be willing to write multiple stories at once if people would be interested. If you have reasons as to why certain ideas do or don't appeal to you, I'd love to hear them.. In addition, I'll be posting a poll about this in my profile.

Whatever I decide, I promise to try not to take over three years on one story again.

Also, if I were to do an idea from the "something completely different" category, would you want it to be a part of the same continuity/canon as _Breaking Free_? (For the record, in my head, the canon of my stories is this: _Breaking Free_ and _The Diary of an Empty Bedroom_ are in the same canon, with the exception of the very last scene of _TDoaEB_, which _could_ be in the same canon, but I don't want to commit to that. _Red Rose_ is absolutely not canon. The Child's Game one-shots and _In the Rearview Mirror_ are so stand-alone that it doesn't really matter. guess they're canon, mostly because I don't have a reason why they couldn't be. _Bastille my Heart_ is kind of a toss-up for me right now. It _could_ be canon, but I'm worried about committing to that, since I'm still not sure what I think happened to Terra. I also have a whole bunch of ridiculous math that I've done explaining why _BF_ takes place in February of 2005, if anyone cares.

A million thanks to anyone who takes the time to read this and give an opinion. I hugely appreciate it. Again, I apologize for the length of these notes.

Review Responses:

KF Fan: I'm really glad that you feel my portrayal of Jinx had improved. I definitely feel that way as well, and it means a lot to me that other people are noticing it. As for Gar, uh, I think I just really like writing depressing stuff for him. I can't ever seem to give the guy a break.

Wolfkeeper989: Thanks so much!

CGBabydoll: Thank you! Sorry about the wait, glad it was worth it.

lemony anemony: Thank you! Yeah, I didn't want to use Jen because so many other people do.

Delirious Erin: Thank you! And, um, yeah. I feel really bad that I left the story on that cliffhanger for so long.

Serena Lockhart: Thank you so much, I'm really glad to hear that. I'm sorry that last chapter took so long, and I'm really glad that you decided not to delete this story from your favorites. It means a lot to me to hear that the chapter was worth it. And I'm glad you like the name Olivia. (Also, the Jinx meeting Wally's family thing would happen in the direct sequel (or possibly the sequel to that, I haven't finalized a timeline), so... Vote for that option if you're interested in it?)

HarlequinAngel27: Thank you so much!

Lily-flower-314: Thank you! Yeah, I get what you mean.

Special thanks to my brother for editing.


	17. Shrink the World

Shrink the World

"And we must converse over the telephone with great frequency," Starfire rambles. "And send the mail of e and…"

"Star," I interrupt, "we're not going to be that far away. It's just Chicago. It's, like, a couple hours from here by plane."

"And if we get Kid Flash to chauffer, it's only a few seconds," Wonder Girl reassures her. "We'll see each other all the time, okay, sweetheart?"

"Oh!" Starfire cries, throwing her arms around Wonder Girl. "It shall be most lonesome to no longer have the mates of room!"

Wonder Girl hugs her back. I don't how she's still breathing. "We'll miss you too, Star," she says.

Most of the team has gathered in the living room as everyone prepares to head back home. Home. Feels weird to call Chicago that. I was there for a few nights before the earthquake. Not long enough to get used to it. Not long enough to belong there.

Wally, Mas, and Menos rush in and out of the room, delivering suitcases to places all over the world. There's a blur, and my bag disappears from the floor by my feet, then another blur as Wally slows to a stop by my side.

"That's the last of 'em," he says. He kisses my cheek, than flops down onto the couch, panting. "That was a lot of bags," he says. "Most of them Argent's."

"Yes, and you're a doll for carrying them for me. Here's for your troubles" Argent tells him, smiling and tossing him something that I can only assume is New Zealand cash. He looks like he's about to say something, then just shakes his head.

"Tell me when you ladies are ready to head home," he says, stuffing the bill into his pocket.

"Speaking of, have you seen Jericho and Rosie?" Wonder Girl asks.

"Rosie went to the bathroom," I answer. "Not sure about Jericho."

"Evidence room," Wally says. "Dick wanted help alphabetizing."

"Again?" Wonder Girl asks. I get the feeling Robin organizes a lot.

"And Hotspot?" Argent chimes in, quietly. "Has anyone seen him?"

Wally shakes his head. "Saw Aqualad, though," he says. Argent nods solemnly, but doesn't say anything.

Well, what could she say, really?

I know how that feels.

The door glides open, and Rosie walks into the room, followed by Jericho and Robin.

Rosie doesn't know what I said about her.

She fell asleep just before that meeting. Wonder Girl didn't think we should wake her up. Since she's not really a member of the team, it didn't matter whether or not she was at the meeting.

Everyone on this team knows what happened between me and Speedy. They know what I thought. About her.

Everyone.

Except her.

That's a good thing. I mean, it's not like I'd want her to know. It's not like I'd want her to…

To know how little faith I have in her.

"Jinx? Jinx, are you ready to go?" Wonder Girl asks. I notice that Hotspot is in the room. I didn't see him come in.

"Yeah," I reply. "Sorry. Dozed out."

Wally gets off the couch and takes one of my hands. "Everybody grab on," he says. Rosie grips onto my other hand.

No. Not how little faith I have in her. How little faith I _had_ in her. I trust her.

I believe in her.

Rosie is not going to be a villain. She's not going to need to resort to that.

I'll make damn sure of it.

Jericho holds Rosie's other hand, and Wonder Girl grabs onto his. Argent holds onto Wonder Girl with one hand, and reaches the other one out to Hotspot. He looks at it.

And grabs onto Wally.

"Oh, I shall miss you all!" Starfire exclaims.

Robin smiles, his arm linked into hers. "See you guys soon," he adds.

"All y'all better hold on tight," Wally says. He lifts one foot, than puts it down, abruptly, and looks at Robin.

"You know," he says, "you have to talk to him."

"I know," Robin says, letting his breath out slowly. "But I can't."

Wally just nods. And then he takes off and everything's a blur.

We arrive at Titans North Tower only seconds later.

Geez, it's weird to be back here.

I look around the living room. I'm not sure what to do with myself. It would feel weird even to… To sit down. To act like I live here. Even though I do.

"I'm just gonna get my stuff and then I'm out of here," Hotspot says gruffly.

"Dude, do you want me to run you to…" Wally begins. He pauses, not sure how to finish. "You know, wherever you're going?"

"I'll put up in a hotel in Houston until the new tower's built," Hotspot replies. "And no, I'm fine. I found a flight that wasn't full and booked a ticket." He walks into the hallway, not looking anyone in the eye.

Argent slumps onto the couch. "I can't believe this," she murmurs. "It's not like I'm doing it on purpose. I can't help if I don't…" She trails off, fidgeting with the hem of her dress.

"Oh, honey," Wonder Girl says sympathetically, sitting down next to her. "Of course not. You can't control how you feel. Don't blame yourself for this." She pats Argent on the shoulder, and Argent just stares at the floor, unresponsive.

"So, does anyone want to go out for dinner or something?" Wally asks, trying to change the subject. Argent suddenly begins to wail.

"Oh, Argent, sweetie, it's okay…" Wonder Girl consoles her. "I think I should stay," she says to Wally.

"I'll go," I tell him. Sort of because I want to get out of here and not have to listen to her cry anymore. But I don't say that part out loud.

"You two should make it a date," Rosie suggests

"I agree with that!" Wonder Girl exclaims, before reverting her attention to Argent. Jericho nods.

"Great idea," Wally says with a flirtatious grin. I try to smile, but I just feel sort of stupid.

"Yeah," I murmur. I see Wally's smile turn a bit mischievous, and add, "But we're staying in the city. And nothing where I have to dress up."

He laughs. "You love spoiling my fun, don't you?"

The door swings open and Hotspot comes back in, carrying one suitcase, another one wheeling behind him. He heads towards the front door. "Well, it was nice knowing you guys," he grunts.

"Don't get to used to being rid of us," I reply. "I'm sure you'll see us around."

"Right," he says. "Well, bye." He opens the door.

"Hotspot, wait!" Argent exclaims. He turns and looks at her, as she stands up and walks towards him, stopping a few feet away.

"Hotspot, I didn't mean to lead you on," she says. "And I'm sorry I upset you. But you don't have to leave just because you're angry at me. Is that really the way to handle this?'  
He smiles, sort of. "So you think I should just stay?" he asks, his voice hard. "And see you with other guys? And know that you're choosing them over me? You really think I want to do that?"

"Hotspot, I don't…" she protests, but he doesn't let her finish.  
"No, Argent," he says. "You have a good time with Aqualad or… whoever. You can be with anyone you want. That's your right. Doesn't mean I want to watch it."

"Hotspot…"

"Argent, let him go," I say. "You'll just make it worse."

I'm not sure where that came from.

Hotspot looks at me. He nods, a thanks, maybe.

I wonder is someone said the same thing about See-More when he decided to stay frozen.

He walks out the door. It slams close, as Argent dissolves into tears, and I just stand there, staring at the metal wall.

"Oh, and a side order of garlic naan," Wally tells the waiter, who nods and walks away.

"I have no idea what anything you just ordered is," I say. Wally laughs.

"Well, I'll just have to educate you on the finer points of Indian cuisine, then," he says with a cocky grin.

"Yeah," I reply, half-heartedly. "It's,uh, good to know there's a good Indian restaurant around here or whatever…"

Wally reaches across the table and takes my hand in his. "What's wrong?"

"What are you talking about?" I say, shaking my head. Trying to shake my feelings off.

"Come on," he says. "You don't care about restaurants any more than I care about, I don't know, rap." I roll my eyes, but his are fixed on me, intense. "You're faking."

"Am not," I retort.

"Yeah, you are," he says gently. "Whatever's bothering you, you can tell me."

I look at him. His eyes, I swear, are such a bright shade of blue that sometimes it's like looking right into the sun.

I can't tell him. I don't know why. Can't tell him that watching Hotspot leave is making me insane, that it scares me because it's too much like something _I_ would do. Too much like what I did do.

Too much like what See-More did.

"I just…" I begin. I wish I could tell him. What is my problem today? Why is it making me so sick to talk to him?

"That Audrey kid," I finish, quickly. It's only sort of a lie, really. It's not like I haven't been wondering what to do about this too. It's not really a lie. Right?  
It's a lie. I'm lying. I hate lying to him.

"Do you think I should…" I continue. No point telling the truth now that I've already got this lie started. "Do you think I should look for her? Do you think she needs help?"

He looks at me funny and I'm pretty sure he knows I'm not telling him something. I'm sure he'll say something about it.

"I think you have to decide that for yourself," he says. He's going along with my lie. That's sort of nice of him. Sort of makes me feel awful

"But whatever you decide, I'm here for you, okay?" he adds. I nod.

"Okay," I reply. I sigh. And I realize that this has been bothering me almost as much as See-More has been.

"I don't know if I could face them," I admit. "My family."

Wally squeezes my hand. "Then you don't have to," he tells me.

Except I do.

"I think," I say, " I think I probably do have to. I can't just ignore them. What if Audrey really does need help?"

"Then we can look for her," he says.

"Yeah," I agree. "We should do that."

It'll be hard.

But I think it's something I have to do.

"But, um," Wally says, "there is someone I do think you _have_ to call."

"Who?" I ask.

He bites his bottom lip, nervous.

"Katie."

Of course.

In a way, I think Katie's more my family than whoever my real parents are. Katie's the one who cared enough to take care of me. To try to, anyway.

Wally's right. I really have to call her.

But what would she say?

She can't be happy. That I would choose a life of crime over accepting her help. She can't possibly have forgiven me for that.

"I can't," I say. Wally squeezes my hand and I know that, at the very least, he understands.

_If I could than I'd_

_Shrink the world tonight_

_So that I would find _

_You and me inside_

_Of the last good scene_

_A film that changes thing_

_Breaks us makes us sing_

_Leaves us wondering_

* * *

No notes because I'm posting this at the same time as chapter 18.

Title and lyrics from _Shrink the World_ by Yellowcard.


	18. Some Hearts

Some Hearts

I stare at the sky, dark and too cloudy to see the stars. It's midnight and I can't sleep. Again. I'm not sure why I'm sitting on the roof. The wind is cold as it blows against my face.

I hear footsteps. I turn. Wally.

"Hey," he says. "I was looking for you."

"You found me," I reply dryly.

"Yeah," he says, more of a breath than a word. He sits down next to me.

"So…," he begins, drawing the word out. "Do you want to tell me what was really on your mind at dinner?"

"I did," I snap.

"No you, didn't," he says. "Not all of it. I know you were holding something back."

I don't say anything.

"Jinx," he says softly. "Jinx, I thought we weren't gonna do this anymore. No more pretending, remember?"

"Yeah," I say. He reaches for my hand, holds it in his, and it's enough to make me break down.

I breathe in, slow, deep, trying not to cry. "Remember that night I was sick and I… I woke up screaming?"

He nods. "Yeah," he says. "You don't know how much that scared me. I didn't know if there was anything I could say to you to possibly make it better."

"There wasn't," I reply. "You tried, though."

He intertwines his fingers with mine, and I think he might know exactly what I'm thinking. "What were you dreaming about?" he asks. Yeah. He does.

"The Hive," I answer. "See-More."

"What about him?" Wally asks.

There's a lump in my throat and I swallow, hard, but it doesn't go away.

"I think…" I begin, feeling my tongue catch on my teeth as I try to say this. "I think he…"

"Yeah?" Wally presses, gently, rubbing his thumb softly against the palm of my hand.

"I think he was in love with me," I finish.

Wally nods. Like he knew that's what I was going to say all along. I bet he did.

"And I think," I continue. "I think that might be why he… Why he killed himself. Not because I left but…" I turn my head away. "But because of you and me."

"Jinx, this isn't your fault," Wally says.

"You always say that," I reply, 'and I know you're right but sometimes I just feel like… Like I could have done something to stop it. Even though I know that I couldn't have. "

"You know," Wally begins quietly, "When I saw him at the base, it occurred to me that if I hadn't convinced you to leave, he wouldn't have killed himself."

I look back at him, and he looks about ready to cry.

"Wally," I say, "this isn't _your_ fault."

"Yeah it is. Kind of," he says. "If I hadn't tried to help you… But I had to."

"And I had to go with you," I add. "I had to _be_ with you."

"So did I," he says. There are tears in his eyes.

"Maybe… Maybe leaving was the only option I had," I say. "And maybe See-More would understand that. Maybe he'd just want me to be happy."

"I think so," Wally agrees. He looks at me

"Jinx, I knew I loved you the moment I met you," he says.

"Yeah, me too," I say.

"And sometimes… After everything that's happened…" he whispers, as one of those tears falls down his cheek. "Sometimes I feel guilty for falling in love with you.

I start to cry. "Well don't," I say. I reach out and dry the tear off his face. "'Cause you're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

He smiles, dries my tears. "You too," he says.

"I love you," Wally says.

"I love you," I say.

We lean in, slowly, and we kiss.

I think, maybe, this is all either of us ever really needed.

_Some hearts they just get all the right breaks_

_Some hearts have the stars on their side_

_Some hearts they just have it so easy_

_And some hearts just get lucky sometimes_

* * *

Author's Notes

I can't believe I actually finished this.

I have been writing this story for three and a half years, which seems so crazy, and it seems so crazy for it to be finished. I promised myself a long time ago that when I finished writing this, I would read the entire story before I wrote my final author's notes. So I did. And what really stood out to me was how much my writing has improved. I was thirteen when I started writing this. And I'll be seventeen next month. And in that time, my writing has gotten so much better. There are parts of this story (like pretty much everything before chapter seven) that make me cringe because they're so bad, but at some point, I'm not really sure when, my writing started getting so much better. And I think I really have this story to thank for that. I would never be able to write as well as I can today if I hadn't been working on this.

I wasn't really sure how to end this story, until I realized that the last chapter shouldn't have anyone but Jinx and Wally in it. At the end of the day, this story is their love story. It's about their relationship. It's about the way they've saved each other, just by loving each other. That's what I was trying to get at with this ending.

So here's my plan for the future: I'll be writing the direct sequel to this as soon as possible. (So, really, this story isn't over. It's just, um, this was a good break point, I guess.) I'll also be writing a "spin-off" following Speedy and Cheshire. While I work on these two stories, I might write _The Incredible Escapades of Lorena Marquez_ as a side project, since it's mostly plotless. I'm still interested in writing my crazy, crazy Robin story and my Young Justice story, but I'm planning to hold off on those for the time being. (Does everyone like this plan? It's not too late to suggest sometime else.)

By the way, would you guys want me to continue the song lyric thing in the direct sequel? In the spin-offs? And does anyone have a title idea for the direct sequel? 'Cause I got nothing.

Thank so much to my brother for editing and always letting me pitch ideas and listening when I talked about this story. I really appreciate your help and support. I hope you know that.

And lastly, I want to thank everyone who's ever read, reviewed, favorited or alerted this story. Thank you all so much for your support. You guys mean so much to me.

Title and lyrics from _Some Hearts_ by Carrie Underwood.

Review Responses:

Hinatalover445: Thank you so much! And thanks for your opinion on my story ideas.

Serena Lockhart: Thank you so much for the opinion! Um, I think I may have accidently misled you with the word "fluff". I meant that the story would be very light and happy, but I wasn't specifically referring to romance. I think Aqualad is a bit old for Lorena, since he's about eighteen and she's ten. I wasn't planning any romances for Lorena, but after I read your review, I started thinking about possibly pairing her with Mas or Menos… Or having them fight over her. Sorry for being unclear!

Melodine: I was hoping that would be a bit of a shocker, thanks. Thank you so much for your comment about how I write RobinxStarfire. I'm glad you like how I write them even though you aren't a fan of the couple. And thanks for the opinion about my story ideas.

CGBabydoll: Thank you so much! Yeah, it was supposed to be sort of unexpected and crazy. Yes, you can vote for as many as you want! And, just to be sure, by the first two, you meant the direct sequel and the SpeedyxCheshire story, right?

Little Miss Juliet: Thank you so much! I don't think you were rambling, by the way.

TealCrystalCAT: Thanks for the opinion on my ideas!

Kitsuru: Thanks you so much! I'm really glad to hear that you think everyone is in-character, that's my biggest worry about this story. And thanks for the opinion on my ideas.

Once again, I just want to thank you all so much for all your support over the last three years. I don't have words for how much it means to me.


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